The Ninth Fist
by Agurra of the Darkness
Summary: Betrayed by the people he vowed to protect Naruto finds himself in a new world with new skills. Searching for a purpose and people who accept him Naruto joins the Infamous Ragnarock, thus leading to the birth of the Ninth Fist.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Because he's considered too much of a liability to the village after Pein's invasion, the Council decides to remove Naruto from Konoha. Naruto soon finds himself adrift in the ocean and learns of the actions of the village. Angered by their betrayal, he floats away before being found and transported to a new land, all the while gaining new skills. After arriving in Japan, he soon comes into contact with the fierce organization Ragnarock and becomes its newest member. This marks the birth of Fenrir, The Ninth Fist.

***Ninth Fist Start***

The Hidden Leaf Village, which was considered the greatest of the five Hidden villages, now lay in ruins. A massive crater more than five miles wide was now in place of virtually every building that once stood. One would think this was the work of some natural disaster or an invading army, but in fact it was the work of a single man and his quest for peace. Pein, the leader of the Akatsuki along with his Six Paths of Pain, had launched an all out assault on the village to capture Naruto and as a result had reduced the village to a smoldering ruin. Never before had the village endured such destruction, and even though Pein had been defeated in the end, the damage had been done.

"It can't go on like this, that boy must be dealt with now more than ever!"

Were the words spoken by the elderly Koharu to the other members of the Village's council of elders.

Though Pein had been successfully defeated, the village had paid a heavy toll both in terms of their military strength and in the shape of their village. As a result the elders Koharu and Homura, along with a few other influential persons had gathered to discuss the village's future, which didn't look too bright for one particular ninja.

"While I cannot deny that the boy is directly responsible for this tragedy, we must not overlook the fact that he is held in high regard by many members of the shinobi population, including the Hokage. If we were to simply kill him right now we would have the entire village at our throats." Homura, the other elder who also didn't hold a high opinion of Naruto from the start, replied.

"Then what do you suggest? You've seen the lengths to which the Akatsuki are willing to go to simply capture him, and as a result our village is now nothing but a pile of ruined buildings! We must act now, before something else happens." Koharu replied with a sense of urgency in her voice.

The two had been trying to find a solution to their strife but had yet to find a resolution that would remove Naruto from the village without invoking the fury of his allies.

"There may be a way to resolve this issue without doing more damage than what has already been done." An old and dry voice called out from the shadows. The form an old man wrapped in bandages along the left side of his body and a cross-shaped scar on his chin appeared. Danzo Shimura, leader and founder of Root and like the Elders one of the people who viewed Naruto as a liability rather than an asset.

The elders looked at the bandaged Root ANBU commander with looks of skepticism. Although it was true that they trusted Danzo more than the Hokage, they also knew that his methods of dealing with such matters had yet to be truly effective or by any means subtle. However, at this point they were in no position to be picky and were willing to take the risk.

"What exactly do you have in mind, Danzo?" Homura asked, still somewhat skeptic of the help this man might provide.

The first thing he heard was the sound of waves and seagulls cawing….

"…"

"**Hey, wake up you worthless flesh bag!"**

"_Huh? What was that? Who's there?"_

"**The Easter Bunny of course; WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?"**

"_Kyuubi? What the hell do you want, and what's that weird sound I am hearing?"_

Naruto slowly began to regain his senses as he slowly rose to his feet. However, he was surprised to find the "land" he was standing on to be shifting from side to side like a pendulum. Ordinarily the blonde ninja would have been able to keep his balance with no trouble, but he was not at his best at the moment and promptly fell on his ass again.

"_Ouch. Okay, what the hell is going here? Why is the ground rocking around, why do I hear seagulls and more importantly, why is everything so damn dark_?"

Before he had a chance to answer his own questions, the "little voice in his head" decided to do it for him.

"**Maybe the reason you can't see is because you are blindfolded, you blonde dumbass." **The nine tailed fox replied before sighing at the sheer stupidity of his current tenant for not even noticing that his eyes were covered.

"_Okay, that answers one question, but why exactly am I blindfolded and why is the ground still moving?" _The still blinded and dazed Naruto asked, with a look of curiosity and slight confusion on his face.

Of course the fox was slowly getting irritated at the fact that his container had yet to attempt the simple method for answering his questions, which he was quick to voice.

**"JUST TAKE THE DAMN BLINDFOLD OFF YOU DUMBASS!"**

With a swift yank the blindfold was removed and the darkness dissipated to reveal bright sunlight, blue skies, and the ocean to Naruto… WAIT, THE OCEAN?

Naruto's eyes quickly adjusted to the light and he was able to survey his surrounds properly only to find that he was not only looking at nothing but the ocean but he was also in a small wooden boat in the middle of said ocean with no land visible at any angle for miles.

At that brief moment, Naruto's mind temporarily shut down from the shocking realization that he was now in the middle of the ocean, on a boat with no land in sight and no idea how he got there, and more importantly, no idea how to get back. So once his brain kicked in again, he did the one thing he could in this situation, which was to…. FREAK THE HELL OUT!

"What in the hell is going on here? WHY AM I IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKING OCEAN?" Naruto screamed at the sea as he tried to remember what had happened in the hope of getting a better understanding of his current situation. However, no matter how hard he tried, nothing appeared in his mind. After talking with Pein and Konan, all he got was a haze.

"_Huh, that's weird; I still can't remember much of anything. Maybe the fox knows something."_

So with that thought in his mind Naruto quickly entered his mindscape and appeared in front of the Kyuubi's cage. However, he was surprised to see that it had changed since he had last appeared before it. The single set of bars that had been used to cage the Kyuubi now had a second set of horizontal bars fused with the previous set. Additionally several heavy chains were also located in front of the cage one connected to each corner and ended at a large lock with the kanji for seal on it.

From behind the now altered cage the massive crimson eyes of the Ninetails appeared, though something was off. The Nine tails looked angry, but not his usual anger but an anger which Naruto liked to call the "do-not-fuck-with-my-ramen" kind of angry. Naruto, being the blunt person he was, asked the rather simple question that was on his mind.

"Yo fox, what's got you so pissed off? And more importantly, what happened to the seal? I don't remember an extra set of bars or chains last time I came here."

Now, normally when Naruto asked the fox to speak with him it would usually be either some snide remark or a lot of screaming. However, this time around the fox, despite his facial expression, responded surprisingly calmly. "**It's a new seal, you moron."**

Of course this just confused Naruto more than he already was and made him forget his original purpose.

"I know that the cage is a seal, I mean, why does the seal have chains and extra bars?" His response was slightly louder than his previous remark and held a hint of anger behind it. However, the fox only sighed in response at first.

"**You really are an idiot, you know? When I said it's a seal I was referring to the bars and chains, not the cage."**

That got Naruto's attention. "What do you mean?" Now both interested and slightly concerned Naruto's full attention was on the face of the demon behind the bars, waiting for an explanation.

"**What I mean is that this cage, the bars and the chains are separate seals. The cage was placed by that bastard of a Hokage to seal me inside of you, the second set of bars and chains however are meant to seal up chakra." **The Fox finished that last sentence with a hint some anger in his voice, as if speaking those words was like some kind of insult.

Naruto however was more focused on the last sentence than the fox's tone of voice. "They sealed up chakra so what? It just seals your chakra, right?" One would have expected the fox to make a snide remark at his container's obviously stupid question normally, but he didn't say anything, which freaked Naruto out a little. The Fox then looked at Naruto and spoke.

**"No, it seals all chakra, not just mine. In other words, your chakra is sealed up too and this seal can't be broken."**

In the moment those words were spoken, Naruto could almost feel his whole world crumble around him. His chakra was sealed. In other words that meant his dream of becoming Hokage was now out of his reach forever, even if he found a way back home. Worse than that, it also meant that all his Jutsu were now useless. No Shadow clones, no Rasengan, hell not even his Sexy no Jutsu. The shock of this realization and the fact he was still weak caused Naruto to pass out, though he welcomed the darkness as a form of comfort and let it consume him.

_(Dreamscape)_

_Naruto stood near Konan and watch as the blue haired woman covered the bodies of her fallen comrades Yahiko and Nagato with her paper, intending to give them a proper burial. Once they were covered the original Akatsuki member turned to Naruto with a sad but hopeful look in her eyes._

"_Naruto, I still don't truly believe that you alone can bring peace to this world of ninja and war. However, Nagato was willing to put his faith in you and if he was willing to give you a chance, then so will I."_

_She then presented Naruto with a bouquet of paper flowers._

_"Please put these at Master Jiraya's grave for me and also know that once I return to the Land of Rain you will have my full support."_

_As she spoke those last words, a small smile appeared on her face as did on Naruto's as he reached for the , just as he was about to accept the flowers, a blinding light appeared, followed by a massive explosion and then…._

_(End of Dream/Flashback)_

(Real world, one day later)

Naruto quickly awoke from his dream as his face was soaked with icy cold water that stung against his skin like needles. His sapphire blue eyes opened once more to the world and he quickly saw that he was still on a boat, but strangely enough not the rowboat from before. This particular boat was rather large, reaching to almost seventy feet in length. He took note that he was currently at the front, which consisted of a small table, some chairs and a tarp, supported by four wooden pillars. In the middle of the boat was what he assumed to be the cabin, which stretched roughly forty feet from the back of the boat to close to the front. A pair of small engines could be seen in the back, propelling the boat forward.

"_Where the Heck am I?"_

"Nice to see that you're still alive, thought you died there for a moment young man." A wise yet oddly upbeat voice rang out.

Naruto quickly turned to the voice and his eyes fell upon a man. He looked to be somewhere in his sixties and yet he was surprising tall, easily standing a few inches above Naruto. His skin was a dark tan in color and his white hair was done in some strange type of braids and placed in a ponytail. The man had a short white beard and mustache adorning his narrow face. A pair of teal eyes gazed at him as Naruto took in the appearance of this unknown man. The man's body was trained to a rather surprising level as he had muscles all over him, not large and bulky ones like some random thug, but those of a trained fighter. He wore no shirt; only a pair of orange sweat pants with a small hole on one of the knees and yellow stripes going down the sides. Other than that he wore no shoes or gloves of any kind. The only other distinguishing feature about the stranger was the black sun tattoo on his left arm near his shoulder.

Naruto continued to stare at the strange man for a few moments, both trying to understand the situation as well as see whether this man was a threat or not. However, what Naruto didn't realize was that the same man was also observing the boy himself but with different intentions.

_"Huh the kid's trying to see how react and wants to make sure that I am not gonna pull anything. Most people would say something first or say 'thank you', but this kid, it's like he is used to this sort of thing. Not only that, but from what I can tell from his physique he has been trained in something, though what I don't know. Whatever the case, I would say things just got very interesting around here."_

The awkward silence lasted for roughly a minute before the strange man finally felt like something needed to be said.

"I take it that by the fact you have the energy to stare at me like that you are feeling better now?"

Naruto quickly realized that he had in fact been staring rather blatantly at the man who had apparently saved him from being stuck in the ocean. So naturally he quickly averted his eyes before putting his hand behind his head and faced the man.

"Sorry, got lost in thought there." He quickly put his hand back down and sat down while the stranger spoke up again.

"It's alright, though I have to admit that you are quite a strange one. It isn't everyday that you find a boy in boat in the middle of the ocean."

The man lightly laughed as he spoke, trying to lighten the somewhat tense atmosphere before reaching out to Naruto with his hand.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. The names Sol Silva, pleasure to meet you." He awaited for Naruto's response with a smile on his face.

Naruto was hesitant to accept Sol's hand because at the moment he still wasn't very trusting of anyone. However, he saw the look on his face and realized that it contained no malice or ill intent, and even though he no longer had access to any chakra he couldn't sense any evil intentions from this man. So Naruto slowly responded.

"Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, and it's a pleasure to meet you too." He slowly shook the man's hand and could tell he was strong just from his firm grip alone.

After releasing each other's respective hands, Sol brought a new topic to their attention. "So Naruto, I am curious, what's a kid like you doing in a boat in the middle of the ocean with no food water or well anything but the clothes on your back?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Sol noticed how Naruto's eyes slowly took on a depressed look, his small smile becoming a frown and even the aura he was emitting was depressive.

_"By the look of this kid's demeanor it must have been something serious for him to go from happy to depressed that quickly."_

Even though the topic seemed to depress his new companion, Sol awaited his response.

Naruto had now been reminded of what he believed to be the truth, namely that his friends and village had betrayed him and left him for dead. This thought made him feel like someone had placed a metal spike on his heart and forced it in with a hammer.

"It's alright; you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I won't pry." Naruto looked up at the strange man whose face held a kind smile that brought Naruto's spirits up a bit.

"Thanks."

Sol's smile quickly turned into a large grin. "It's nothing; I am not the kind of guy who pries into people's private lives, if you don't want to say anything that's fine." Sol's smile then slowly disappeared as he turned to Naruto. "So on to a new subject, what are you planning to do now Naruto? Are you going to try and find a way back to from where you came?"

Naruto paused for a moment at the thought about the question, but then remembered that his chakra had been sealed and he had been left for dead. There was no point in returning. "Nope, I have nothing waiting for me back there so I guess I will just have to start over wherever I end up."

Sol nodded his head at the blond ninja's response. "That's good, you shouldn't let yourself get discouraged and try to move on. As for starting over, I am currently on course for the country of Japan; maybe you can find your place there."

Naruto was tempted to ask Sol where exactly Japan was since he had never heard of it before, but at this point it didn't really matter. As long as he could move forward he didn't care. "So how long do you think it will take us to get to Japan?"

Sol broke out into a grin before replying. "Not too long, only about 6 months."

Naruto's eyes popped out of his sockets when he heard that, though mostly all he heard was the part about 6 months. "SIX MONTHS! I'M GONNA BE STUCK ON THIS BOAT FOR SIX MONTHS? WHAT THE HECK I AM SUPPOSED TO DO?" As he said these words the grin on Sol's face turned into a large smile.

"Well, I might have a suggestion for you." Naruto neck turned so fast to his new friend that you could hear a few joins snap in and out of place. He looked at Sol with curiosity at what he was going to suggest. Sol quickly got up and walked towards the large cabin of the ship before opening the massive double doors.

Naruto glanced inside and was shocked at what he saw. The walls were painted orange and lights were hanging from the ceiling, revealing various pictures on the walls that displayed various individuals performing a myriad of combat moves. In one corner of the room were several dumbbells and what appeared to be leg and arm weights. In another part of the room were various training posts and training dummies. Other pieces of equipment of all types could be found lying around in the massive room. The floor itself was padded and looked like one big training mat with a ring like circle in the middle.

Sol looked at Naruto with glee in his expression before asking the blonde boy. "Tell me something Naruto. Do you have any interest in practicing Martial Arts?"

***Ninth Fist end***


	2. Chapter 2

Well everyone the Ninth Fist is back. Sorry it took so long but this took some serious thinking and editing but I think it works pretty well. Anyway this is were the crossover starts, Naruto's Fighting style is revealed and you will learn a little more about his master Sol Silva. Prepare for some shocks and make sure to read well. Now with out further waiting I give you Chapter 2 of the Ninth fist.

***Ninth Fist Start*******

(Time skip, 6 months later)

The boat rocked back and forth in a slow but calming motion as it approached the shore of the island of Japan. At the front of the boat sat Naruto, still clad in the clothes he worn when he first met Sol, though they were even more ragged and torn now from his new master's training.

As he looked towards the ever-growing land ahead, Naruto started to think back and reflect on what had happened to him over the last six months.

_(Flashback)_

_Naruto stared at his new friend Sol with a look of shock and curiosity at the somewhat strange proposal he had dropped on him out of nowhere. After learning that he would be trapped on Sol's boat for six months before reaching shore, Naruto, acting like his old self, quickly started to shout and scream in comedic annoyance. Sol then offered him something to pass the time with, which was in a few short words: "Do you have any interest in practicing martial arts?"_

_Naruto stared at the unusual man before him who still had that same massive grin on his face, awaiting Naruto's response._

_"Um Sol, what exactly do you mean?" Naruto asked._

_Sol's grin dropped for a moment at the question but quickly shifted back to a small smile. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked straight at Naruto. " Huh, can't say I am surprised by your response, if I were in your position I would probably ask the same thing."_

_Naruto watched Sol as he continued to speak, curious to find the answer behind his strange question._

"_Listen Naruto, I am a martial arts master and one thing a master has to do is pass his skills on to a disciple to carry on his legacy. Unfortunately I have as of yet been unable to find anyone who I felt was worthy of being my pupil. That was till I found you, that is." At the end of the sentence his grin returned in full, like a kid who just found a toy he had lost._

"_Wait, I don't get it, I mean, why me? You hardly know anything about me and I know next to nothing about you or even what you would teach me. How can you be so sure that I would even make a good pupil?" Naruto spoke with more curiosity than annoyance as he was slightly interested with what this man had to say._

_Sol continued to smile as he looked at Naruto. "Kid, I may not know you personally, but when you reach be my age and see the stuff I have seen, you tend to look past appearances. All I know is that I see something special in you that I have been searching for a long time. So what do you say, do you want to be my pupil?"_

_Naruto stood there unmoving for a while, mentally weighing his options. However, one part of his mind decided to tip the scale so to speak._

"_**Say yes." **__A loud yet well-known voice echoed in the back of Naruto's mind._

"_Fox, what do you want now and what do you mean with 'say yes'?"_

"_**Listen here you brat, I am trying to help you. In case you weren't paying attention, you have no chakra left which means no Jutsu either. That leaves you with only your hand to hand combat skills, that's of course if you consider that idiotic flailing around you usually do as martial arts."**_

"_Hey I have gotten by just fine with my…"But this was where the fox cut him off._

"_**DON'T BE AN IDIOT! You have never once defeated a capable opponent with your basic fighting skills. No, you either overwhelmed them with your Shadow Clones and blasted them away with your Rasengan or got your ass handed to you. Face it, your whole joke of a fighting style was centered around your chakra and now that it's gone you need to either learn some useful fighting skills or rely on what you have and get you f#&king ass kicked!"**_

_Naruto was prepared to argue back but looking back he realized that what the fox was saying was dead on right. He couldn't remember a single fight he had been in where he hadn't relied on his Shadow Clones or the Rasengan to bail him out of trouble. Plus he never learned a real fighting style, mainly because his teachers' trainings had all been centered on chakra. Now that it was gone he had nothing to work with._

"_**Trust me kit, this is the right thing to do and I can tell by looking at this guy that he will teach you better than any of those other idiots before." **__Needless to say, that was all Naruto needed to hear._

_The former ninja came out of his mindscape and looked Sol, who had a slightly suspicious smirk on his face like he had expected his reaction, dead in the eye. However, he didn't dwell on that and simply looked at the martial arts master. "Alright Sol, I will become your disciple, teach me and I will learn."_

_Then Naruto did something that anyone who knew him before would be shocked to hear about. He bowed in respect for his new master._

_Needless to say, Sol was doing a happy dance on the inside and looked at Naruto with another huge grin. "Alright Naruto, let's get started then."_

_(Flashback End)_

From that moment on Sol practically threw Naruto into training, which Naruto found to be much harder without his chakra. Yet he quickly got accustomed to his new limitations and stayed focused on everything his new master taught him. But for Naruto the most enjoyable fact about the training itself was that Sol actively helped him in his training and pointed out any flaws he might have made, unlike all his previous masters who had simply shown him the technique he was supposed to learn and had left him to his own devices afterwards.

As a result Naruto had grown to like Sol very much and upon nearing Japan's shores it made him truly sad to leave his master behind, despite knowing that this journey was one he would have to do by himself.

Naruto was so deep in thought that he didn't notice his master slip behind him until Sol tried to sweep his legs. However, with amazing agility Naruto jumped up to avoid the sweep before flipping back in the air, landing on one hand before he swung his left leg and unleashed a powerful side kick, only for Sol to block it with his own leg. The force of the two limbs colliding created a small shock wave that blew the air away from around them. Naruto slightly glared at Sol before he pushed himself back to a standing position.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR SENSEI?" Naruto glared at his master with a furious look as Sol stood there with the same grin he always carried.

"Hehehe, just making sure you don't let your guard down, plus it's a fun way to mess with you when you are thinking too much." Sol then laughed lightly at his own somewhat misguided logic, but still, it was enough to bring a smile back to Naruto's face. Sneak attacks had been a part of Naruto's training and they happened anytime and anywhere. Regardless of whether it was the dinner table, when he was sleeping, or even when he was going to the bathroom once.

At first it pissed him off; however, it did manage to keep his mind off of his old life and the betrayal, which still stung a little when he thought of it. However Sol had been right that the training would get his mind off of it.

"Well Naruto, we are about to arrive at port so you better pack what things you have and get ready." Naruto nodded and quickly went to his room below deck. It was about the same size as his old apartment and didn't have much stuff in it. As such packing didn't take too long and Naruto was back on deck in flash. Once they hit port, Sol quickly dropped the anchor and tied the boat to the dock. Once it was secured he walked over to Naruto to give him some last words of advice.

"Well Naruto, this is it now, you have a chance to start a new life here and hopefully find a place where you belong." Sol spoke with a more serious tone as he stared at his blond haired disciple. "However, since you don't have next to anything or money I figured I would start you off, so here." He practically shoved a small but very fat sack in Naruto's arms.

"That should be enough to get you by and set up shop for yourself, as long as you don't spend it all in one place. Also remember to keep training and improve, so that the next time we see each other I can give you some serious training!" Before Naruto even had a chance to reply his master had already shoved him off the boat. As the blonde boy was till busy getting to the surface again Sol had already redrawn the anchor and set off.

After resurfacing the former ninja watched the boat he had come to see as a sort of second home shrink in the distance of the horizon. However, while it was leaving Naruto heard the familiar musical beat of steel drums being played in a rhythmic fashion. Naruto smiled at his master's attempt at a final goodbye before getting out of the water and walking from the ocean, towards the city that would become his new home.

(Scene Change, unnamed City)

Night had fallen quickly as the young demon carrier walked through the streets, still looking for a place to stay at. After Sol had left Naruto had immediately headed into the city to find a place to sleep for the night. However, before he had a chance to do so the fox told him to buy new clothes before considering finding a place to sleep. When Naruto asked why, the fox rather than replying simply told him to look at the people around him. When he did that he saw they were staring at him, some were even laughing. Not wanting to draw attention to himself Naruto quickly ran to the nearest clothing store to change his look.

Gone was his old orange and black jumpsuit and pants as Naruto decided to go with something different for a change. Now Naruto wore a pair of black sweat pants, black and red sneakers, a black hooded jacket with red lines on the sleeves with the hood kept up and a black tee shirt which surprisingly had the image of blue and gray wolf head with red eyes on the front. For some odd reason he felt like something about the image sort of called out to him in a way, but he didn't think too much of it.

By the time he was done it was already dark outside and Naruto was now stuck walking outside, hoping to find somewhere to find shelter for the night. Unfortunately that search was about to be delayed.

"Hey buddy, you got a minute?"

Naruto turned his eyes to a group of five teens dressed in various outfits that made them look like your run of the mill thugs. The one whom he assumed had called to him was roughly 5'6" and wore a white jacket, orange shirt, black pants and shoes. He had short brown hair and three rings pierced through his left eyebrow and one in his lip. He approached Naruto with a sinister look on his face, obviously showing that he and his buddies were looking for trouble. Naruto, who was being used to facing demented psychos, wasn't frightened by a group of thugs.

"Yo, what do you want?" Naruto responded calmly but with a slight demanding tone underneath, indicating that he didn't want to deal with this. Unfortunately for the guy and his buddies they didn't take the hint.

"Well, here's the thing. See, we run things in this neighborhood and require everyone to pay a toll when they come around here. So seeing as how we ain't seen you around this place we assume you're new, so here's the deal: you pay or," The guy quickly pulled out a black switch blade knife and smirked. "We mess you up."

Before the guy even knew what hit him, he was up in the air after feeling something smash up into his jaw. He didn't even have a chance to regain his senses before he felt another force collide with his chest, knocking what little wind was left in him out before crashing into a nearby trashcan. The other thugs blinked as their jaws dropped in shock at the sight of their boss flying.

"What the hell just happened?" One of the thugs voiced.

"Yeah, one second the boss is gearing to slash the guy the next he's – " The rest of his sentence never left his mouth as a foot swiftly collided with the left side of his face. A moment later the same foot crashed into the other four at high speed, sending them in various directions which were always interrupted by both walls and trashcans.

The boss managed to regain his senses enough to look up and see his four buddies flying. However, what really surprised him was seeing his intended victim perform some kind of break dance move where he spun around his legs spread out and his body balanced on one arm.

"Damn it, I don't know what's going on but no one makes a fool out of me!" The thug reached into his jacket and quickly pulled out a much larger knife with a six inch blade and black handle. He glared at Naruto who had his back to the thug.

"Hope you're ready to die, bastard!" He quickly charged at Naruto, his knife raised high and ready to end his life.

The instant he had said those words the blond stranger spun around so fast that he could barely be seen. As he turned he spun his right leg and delivered a fast roundhouse kick that knocked the blade of the knife clean off and into a nearby wall.

The nameless thug just stood there in shock, his eyes slowly turning to the now empty handle that had once been his knife. He then looked into the dark hood of the stranger, only for his eyes to meet a pair of cold blue eyes. The thug could feel those eyes almost piercing his very soul, he was that frightened by them.

"Listen pal, I am only gonna say this once so listen up." The hooded teen in a firm and cold tone that sent chills down his enemy's spine.

"You didn't see me here, none of this ever happened and you won't breathe a word of this little encounter to anyone, got it?" The last words were spoken with an animalistic snarl that made the question sound more like a statement.

The thug could only stand and stare, he was past frightened and subconsciously noticing that he pissed his pants less than two seconds after looking the guy in the eyes. Using what little of his brain was still functioning, he slowly nodded in response before falling on his back unconsciously.

Naruto simply shook his hooded head in slight disappointment at his pathetic attacker before taking note of his somewhat odd reaction. "Hey fox, what's going on here?"

"**What do you mean?"**

"Well, right after I broke that guy's knife I felt something, like I was angry but more so than usual. I felt a little like when I used your chakra, mind explaining?"

"**Huh, I wondered when you would notice that. Listen kit, as you know that seal those idiots used on you seals away both your chakra and mine permanently, right?"**

"Yeah, so what?" Naruto started to get a little annoyed at his companion's vagueness.

"**Be patient, I am getting there. Anyway, as you know chakra is a combination of a person's physical energy and spiritual energy. Physical energy is produced by your body, namely it's the energy you use to move around. Your spiritual energy on the other hand comes from your emotions and spiritual being. My chakra is mostly composed of elements like rage and hatred, however, now that it can't escape as energy, where do you think all that anger goes?"**

"What are you getting at fox?"

"**Look, here's the short version: my chakra is made up of anger and hatred and comes in great amounts but is now permanently sealed in both your body and spirit. In doing so this has caused some of those emotions to be infused into your spirit, but the seal makes it so that it doesn't flood into you since it would turn you into a berserker. Only when you are in states of extreme anger it will emerge and make you stronger and faster as well as more vicious. Think of it like a shot of adrenaline on steroids. "**

"So in other words, if I get mad enough I get some kind of energy boost or something?"

"**That's the general idea, yeah."**

"While I would like to talk more about this, right now I am too tired to deal with it. I guess I might as well go find a park with a tree for me to sleep in. Man, what a lousy way to start off here." Naruto sighed at his misfortune, utterly ignoring the fact he had just used his new found martial arts skills to demolish a group of low class thugs. However, as he walked away he missed a pair of glowing red eyes looking at him through the darkness.

The eyes were revealed to be a pair of military style night vision goggles, worn by a girl with short brown hair though it was hard to see any of it under her army green ski hat. She appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old and wore a yellow tank top, green fingerless gloves, army camo pants and combat boot. In her hand she held a portable video camera, which she had used to record the entire fight. On her face one could see a large and somewhat creepy smile as she lightly chuckled to herself. "Just wait till Loki sees this!"

(Unknown location)

Sol lightly hummed to himself as his boat continued to carry him across the open sea.

"I wonder how Naruto will do while he is in Japan…" As he kept wondering he flipped a small golden coin like item with his left hand. While he stared towards the setting sun he easily caught coin again.

"Well, I guess we will just have to wait and see. Though if he is the kind of person I think he is then not only will he make it there, but he is going raise some serious hell too!"

His boat soon landed on another stretch of land, which at the tip held a massive skyscraper with an unknown symbol on the front.

Silva slowly walked down the dock with his coin in hand. In mere seconds ten hooded individuals appeared before him. Each one wore a hooded black robe covering their whole bodies from view. The only real differences between them, besides their heights, were the nine different kanji symbols on each robe. They read: Shadow, Flow, Ice, King, Steel, Sky, Water, Flame, Void and Moon respectively.

Sol chuckled lightly at the group of strange individuals as each of them raised their hands, presenting a gold coin each carrying the same symbol each individual had on their robes. Sol responded by raising his own coin, only the Kanji for "Sun" was engraved on his.

The one member with the symbol for "Shadow" walked forward. "So it finally happened. Did you really find yourself an apprentice?"

Sol quickly gained a serious look on his face as he responded. "Would I be here otherwise?"

"No, I suppose not, though it certainly took you long enough." Despite the intense atmosphere the hooded Shadow wielder laughed lightly.

Sol also chuckled as he looked over the other eight masked individuals before returning his gaze to the one in front. "Sorry about that, it took longer than I thought. However, it was worth it 'cause I believe I found someone who has the potential to become a better master than even me one day."

"If he is anything like you Sol then it's distinct possibility. However, we can discuss this later. After all, we are finally whole once more. It's good to have you back, Capoeira Master, Silva the Dancing Sun God."

***Ninth Fist end***

That's it, So for those who weren't clear, Naruto's martial art style is Capoeira which is a Brazilian fighting style similar to break dancing. It relies on rhythmic movements that include flips, handstands and other such movements. Also yes Naruto's new master is in fact a member of the Shadow fists of Yami, he is their tenth fist who hold the symbol of the Sun and is a Capoeira master. I would say more but that would spoil the fun so please review and tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Well Hey guys, sorry for the long wait but with school and everything this took a while to put together. Just letting you know I will try to update at least once a month just letting you know. Also the pairing poll is listed bellow so vote for one and we will see who wins. Well lets begins.

***Ninth Fist Start***

(Abandoned warehouse)

At first glance one would think that no one in their right mind would even consider entering this old warehouse, due to its rotten walls, rusted ceiling and rat infestation. However, there was surprisingly enough a light coming from the second floor of the warehouse.

Upon closer inspection a computer screen situated on a desk could be identified as the source of the glow. Sitting at the desk was a rather unusual looking individual. He was roughly six feet tall, with light blue hair, garbed in black pants and shoes along with a blue undershirt, a tan trench coat, black gloves and a rather strange pair of goggles with some sort of netting over the eyes.

To most people he would just look like some kind of weird teenager that people generally tend to ignore. However, anyone with even a little knowledge of the city knew that this man was the Fourth Fist of the infamous gang Ragnarock, also known as Loki. Famous for both his fighting skills and his devious attitude, he had made a habit of stirring up trouble in the city. But tonight his attention was drawn to an interesting video, which had been presented to him by one of his agents.

If one had been able to look through his goggles, they would have seen his eyes focusing solely on the mysterious hooded figure that soundly demolished the small band of thugs that had attacked him. With each second that passed the grin on Loki's face continued to grow until it couldn't stretch any further.

"Looks like I just hit the jackpot." He lightly chuckled to himself as he paused the movie at a scene that allowed him to get a good view of the strangers face which was illuminated by the moonlight. It revealed a young boy with blonde hair, blue eyes and whisker-like marks on his cheeks. "Time to go recruit some new blood."

(Scene Change, Park)

Naruto was, needless to say, having a rather crappy morning which was partially attributed to the fact that he had been forced to sleep in a tree at the local park.

_"Mental note to myself, never sleep in a tree again. Especially one full of crazy squirrels and an insane chipmunk."_ He thought.

It was true, not long after being bombarded with acorns by a rather unusual band of squirrels Naruto had been attacked by some rabid chipmunk. It was a lousy way to start the day. Naruto was currently walking down the sidewalk of some nameless pathway away from the park as he again searched for a place to stay.

"There has to be _some_ place where I can sleep around here. I'm not planning to stay in a tree again." As these thoughts went through his mind, the blonde ninja's attention was quickly diverted as he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"Alright kid, mind telling me what exactly you're doing?" A voice laden with authority asked.

Naruto turned around only to find a man who appeared to be roughly in his thirties, wearing a black uniform with red and white strips, black pants and shoes, white gloves and a white hat with a black tip**.** He looked at Naruto with a stern face. "Well, you gonna answer me kid? What exactly are you doing?"

Naruto was curious; normally he just would have run for it, but he figured that it wouldn't accomplish anything in this situation. What he currently was wondering about was who this man was and what exactly he thought Naruto was doing wrong.

"Uhm, could you maybe tell me what exactly the problem is? 'Cos I really don't know what I'm doing wrong." The blonde ninja spoke slowly but relatively calmly so he wouldn't accidentally start an incident.

The man quickly gained a confused look on his face but quickly returned it to a stern expression. "Kid, how old are you exactly?"

"Uhm, sixteen."

"That's what I figured. And that leaves the question why exactly you aren't in school when it's clearly a school day."

When the policeman mentioned the word 'school', Naruto quickly gained a horrified expression at the very idea.

_"SCHOOL? You have to be kidding me! I thought I was done with that crap when I graduated from the Academy three years ago, now this guy is telling me I have to go back?"_ Naruto continued to panic at the thought of being forced into a classroom again.

The officer, who was getting slightly annoyed with the teen's lack of response, swiftly changed his grip from Naruto's shoulder to his wrist and began to drag him along.

"Alright kid, you and me are going down to the station for a little chat." He quickly dragged the young blonde down the road.

"Ah there you are, I have been looking all over for you." Another voice said to the two.

The voice got the officer's attention and snapped Naruto out of his daze. The two turned their attention to the source of voice, only to find another teen about the same age as Naruto. He was roughly six feet in height, with light blue hair and brown eyes. The stranger was clad in a simple white collared shirt, blue pants and brown shoes.

The stranger quickly ran up to the pair and with a slight smile faced the two individuals before turning his attention to Naruto. "Where have you been, man? I have been looking all over for you, what did I tell you about trying to skip school?"

Naruto quickly gained a confused expression on his face since he had never met this boy before and certainly never talked to him. However, the stranger changed his facial expression for a moment to one that said "play along for now" before returning it to the expression of the concerned friend. Not wanting to deal with the cop, Naruto figured it was his best option.

"Sorry about that, I went out for a bit and got lost." Naruto spoke with a convincing tone.

The officer's eyes drifted from the stranger to the boy he had been interrogating and back again. "Do you know this kid?"

The blue haired boy looked at the officer with a same smile on his face. "Yes, we go to the same high school, but my friend here has a habit of skipping class. Sorry about that." He then bowed in apology.

The officer looked at the two briefly before slowly letting go of Naruto's wrist. "Alright, I guess as long as you get your buddy to class again it's alright. Just make sure he stays there this time."

The blue haired teen quickly responded. "Don't worry, he won't leave my sight again, I guarantee it!" He especially emphasized the last line, but only Naruto was able to pick up on it.

Satisfied the officer turned around and walked away, leaving the two teens to their own business. Naruto breathed a slight sigh of relief at having avoided the risk of returning to school, though he quickly turned his attention to the stranger.

"While I appreciate the help, I know that you want something from me, so do me a favor and drop that fake smile and get on with it."

The teen's smile didn't exactly drop but rather turned into a sinister grin as he looked at Naruto, eager to answer him. "Well, aren't you straight to the point? You are an interesting guy, that's for sure." He chuckled in a manner that reminded Naruto of a certain snake ninja from not too long ago.

"Alright, you mind explaining what you want from me, cause I have better things to do with my time." Naruto spoke with a slightly demanding tone.

However, it didn't deter the stranger one bit, if anything it made him laugh even more and his grin stretch even further. "Oh man, you are a riot; this is definitely going to be fun!"

He quickly calmed his laughter down but still kept his grin as he faced the blonde ninja. "Oh, with all this talking I forgot to introduce myself, sorry about that."

With that he quickly grabbed his shirt and with a flick of the wrist was now somehow garbed in a tan trench coat, blue shirt, black shoes, gloves and pants and a pair of strange goggles that covered his eyes. "The name is Loki, Fourth Fist of Ragnarok."

He raised his glove to reveal the roman number for "4" which was engraved in some sort of golden metal ring on the top of his glove.

Naruto looked at him with slight interest and curiosity. "Ragna-what now?"

"Ragnarok, kid."

Naruto, who wanted to get to the point quickly, asked: "Okay, what exactly is Ragnarok and what do you want with me?" Loki once again grinned even deeper as he continued to look at the blonde ninja.

"What Ragnarok is exactly isn't all that important. In simple terms we are a gang and what I want from you is for you to join us!"

That got Naruto's attention. When Naruto had come to Japan he had planned to start up his new life here. However, what he had never even considered was joining up with a new group of people. Granted, it was an interesting offer and Naruto could tell by looking at Loki that he wasn't the kind of person to take no for an answer.

Naruto stared at Loki for a moment. "Okay, let's say for a moment I am interested in joining, what I want to know is why exactly you want me. I mean, I just got here yesterday."

His response caused Loki to chuckle again and he then reached into his trench coat. Naruto naturally tensed up when he thought that Loki was going to pull a weapon on him, but he quickly calmed down once he saw that it was just a computer, although a far more advanced one than he knew from his homeland. Loki quickly opened up the miniature device to reveal a video recording of Naruto's encounter with the gang from the previous night. As the video played, Loki continued to laugh.

"Have to say, this was a very interesting video I received, bet you didn't know those thugs you knocked out were a part of one of the more dangerous gangs in the city. Even the cops around here are afraid to deal with them, yet you faced them down without breaking a sweat."

Naruto looked at him blankly. "Your point?"

"Listen kid, Ragnarok is on its way to be the most powerful gang in this city and it's mainly composed of top notch fighters. However, recently we have been suffering some serious trouble thanks to a few annoyances, but with your help things will pick up for us again in no time!" Loki continued to look at Naruto. Although he wasn't showing it, he was slightly nervous while waiting for Naruto's answer. _"Dammit, this kid better say yes, with him on our side not only will that Shit-paku alliance fall but he will be perfect for taking down Odin!"_

Naruto paused and thought about the offer. While he wasn't crazy about the idea of being in a gang, it would present him some form of purpose and possibly a place to sleep at. Figuring that he had nothing to lose he looked at Loki. "Alright, I am interested, though I think I might need to meet the rest of this gang first."

With his response Loki's grin became so wide that it was a miracle his skin didn't rip.

"Excellent!"

(Scene and Time Change, Undisclosed location, 9:00 P.M.)

In a somewhat large but obviously abandoned room, six different shadowed figures could be seen in the darkness.

"Someone mind explaining me why we were told to gather here?" A gruff voice spoke out in curiosity. The response the one asking got was rather unusual and some would say flamboyant.

"LALALALA, I waaaas tooooold it was something really really really important aaaaaand – "

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?"

A new voice stopped the first two by calmly speaking up. "Both of you calm yourselves, now is not the time to be acting like a pair of children."

Another voice spoke up. It was accompanied by the sound of a gum popping. "Still, you have to wonder what exactly is going on. I don't remember us having anything important to talk about."

"I believe that I can answer your question." The six turned their attention to the figure that had just opened the door, allowing the moonlight to engulf the room and reveal the six.

The first one of the six was a young girl with short red hair and green eyes. She was clad in a red T-shirt with the word 'Valkyrie' stitched across the top, a pair of jeans with the right leg torn off up to the thigh, a pair of brown boots and a green beret on the top of her head.

The second one was by far the largest of the six as he stood to almost seven feet, with short brown hair and eyes. His clothing was a simple grey Gi top and pants, though with the sleeves obviously ripped off and a pair of sandals. At first glance one would have thought him obese, but upon closer inspection all of his girth was actually pure muscle.

The third was the most unusually dressed of the group as his face was concealed by a hooded trench coat with a pentagram stitched on it. Beneath it he wore a skintight muscle shirt, black jeans, a brown belt and leather boots similar to the girls.

The fourth was the one who had previously talked so flamboyantly. He was a teenage boy with surprisingly long white hair and light blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a dark maroon colored long-sleeved jacket, army green pants, brown boots and a maroon colored hat with a white feather attached to the left side.

The fifth individual was another young woman, though differing greatly in her appearance compared to the other one. She wore a light blue leotard top with dark blue pants, and an orange short sleeved vest. She was tanned; her hair was short and dark brown while her eyes were dark blue. A small scar was visible on her right cheek, just below her eyes. Her top stretched against her body, revealing a surprisingly muscular frame.

The last of the six was a massive man with muscles on every part of his body. His hair was dark blonde and his eyes were also blue in color. A red sleeveless vest along with a skintight black muscle shirt and dark black pants were his choice of dress. On his face was a blank, vacant look as he kept chewing his gum.

The six turned their attention to the seventh individual, the one who had just entered the warehouse. Despite the company and location he was surprisingly well dressed with his white suit and pants as well as a yellow tie around his neck. His face was narrow and framed with short purple hair. His light blue eyes were covered by a pair of thin glasses. He stared at the six as the hooded individual spoke up.

"Alright Odin, we're here. Now, do you mind explaining what you want? I have better things to do if this isn't important." His tone was filled with arrogance and annoyance, a feeling that was currently shared by some of the others while the largest part was simply uninterested.

The now called Odin looked back at his comrade with a small frown that held no hostility as he fixed his glasses with his left hand. "Actually Hermit, I myself don't know much about what's going on. I only know that Loki said he had something he wanted to share with us."

The response caused looks of surprise to sprout on the faces of each member at the thought of their own leader being in the dark. However, they also reminded themselves that Loki had a habit of keeping secrets.

"So, what does that laughing idiot want now? 'Cause if this is another one of his pranks he is so dead." The short red head spoke with signs of rising anger in her voice.

"Whooooo's to SAAAAAAAAAY, perhaaaaaaaaaps it iiiiiiiiiis something importaaaaaaaant and neeeeeeeeeeew!" The white haired boy sung rather than spoke, slightly agitating the ones around him.

The girl with short brown hair looked at the two with a calm expression. "I guess we will have to wait and see. Who knows, maybe it's something important this time." As she spoke those words, a familiar laugh could be heard echoing throughout the room.

"OH IT IS IMPORTANT, ALRIGHT FREYA, I ASSURE YOU!" The voice of Loki could be heard from all sides of the room. Some of the group tried to search for the source while Odin stayed still in his position, his eyes shifting slightly to the right where the opened door was.

"Loki, enough of your games. Come out already, would you?" Odin sighed.

The response was quick. "Of course, no problem Odin." Loki quickly walked into the warehouse with the same ever-present and creepy grin he always carried. However, the seven noticed that Loki seemed even more excited and cocky than usual.

"Miss me?" He mockingly asked. The seven looked at him with mild annoyance at his attempt at humor.

"Not that we aren't happy to see you Loki, but would you mind explaining why you called us all here?" Odin asked.

Loki's grin became even larger and his chuckling grew as well. "Oh, you're gonna love this everyone! See, I found us a new recruit and believe me, this guy has some serious skill." He then turned his attention to the outside of the building. "Alright, you can come in now."

The sound of footsteps on gravel could be heard on the outside as the seven waited in anticipation, each with their their own thoughts.

"_A new recruit, huh? Probably some macho meat head who can barely fight, more dead weight." Were the thoughts that entered Valkyrie's head._

"_Been a while since we had any new members. I wonder if he'll be interested in helping me practice my fighting style."_

"_A new member, great, another worthless fool who can't hack it and will probably end up dead."_

"_I Wondeeeeeeeer what kind of melodyyyyyyyyyyyyyy he wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill haaaaaaaaaaaave."_

"_This could be interesting." Freya thought._

"_Bubblegum chewing sounds" _(Yes Berserker even thinks about chewing gum, unless he is fighting that is pretty much all he does).

"_What could Loki be scheming?" Odin thought._

The stranger finally came into view. He was roughly six feet tall and clad in a black hooded jacket with blue lines running down the sleeves. A pair of black and dark blue sweat pants covered his lower body. Beneath his jacket was a black T-shirt with a grey wolf head imprinted on it. Strangely enough his hood concealed his hair like Hermit's hood did while a black cloth mask covered his mouth. The only part visible of him were his blue eyes.

The stranger looked at the group before turning to Loki. "So, these are your associates Loki?"

"Yes my friend, I would like you to meet the other seven of the Eight Deadly Fists of Ragnarok. The girl with the red hair is the Eighth Fist, Valkyrie. The big guy is the Seventh Fist, Thor. The hooded one is the Sixth Fist Hermit. The weirdo with the hat is the Fifth Fist, Siegfried. The brown haired girl is the Third Fist, Freya. Gum boy over there is the Second Fist, Berserker. And then we have the last one, the one with the glasses. This the First Fist and leader, Odin."

The seven didn't react much to the introduction apart from their eyes looking scanning this strange new individual. Loki however ignored the others and continued his little speech. "As for introductions, my friends, this is Naruto, our newest recruit." Loki pointed to Naruto, though one could tell from his tone he had more to say. "Though personally, I think he's Fist material."

The instant the sentence was uttered, every one of the Fists' eyes rose in shock at the statement, although Valkyrie was far more vocal with her thoughts.

"Bullshit, you think this guy can be a Fist? That's total crap! It took me two years to become a Fist and you want this guy to become one the moment he joins?" She screamed in fury, her rage clearly evident in her voice. Her thoughts were not alone as Odin too questioned Loki.

"Though I don't agree with Valkyrie's choice of words, I have to agree. Loki, you know how things work here, we can't just make a new member a Fist." However, the words he spoke were different from those in his mind. "_Those eyes… they are the eyes of a combat veteran. Whoever this guy is, he is definitely not your run-of-the-mill thug."_

Despite their obvious protests and looks of discontent, Loki's grin didn't falter, if anything it grew even bigger. "I had a feeling you would say that, so I prepared a little demonstration."

He then clapped his hands together four times and in a matter of seconds seven identical individuals appeared.

"My shadows here will all fight Naruto, seven on one to show you how good he really is."

The seven Fists looked slightly interest at the idea, both for seeing the individuals' skills and even more at the prospect of Loki's look-a-likes getting pummeled.

Naruto slowly moved to the center of the room with the seven Loki's surrounding him on each side. Each of them pulled out a stun baton with electricity crackling around them. Naruto however simply reached into his pocket and strangely enough pulled out an iPod and earphones. The group looked on in curiosity as he placed the earphones into his ears before selecting a song.

One of Loki's shadows took the opportunity and charged forward, reeling his left arm back to strike. Before he could even attack, Naruto spun around and unleashed a powerful circular kick, nailing his enemy in the jaw and sending him flying. As the clone fell, a second Loki clone appeared in front of him before swinging his baton down vertically.

With incredible agility Naruto leapt backwards, landed onto his hands and reeled both his legs back, avoiding the strike, before shooting both legs forward, crashing them into the shadow's face. Before the second shadow fell, Naruto pushed himself up with one hand, flipped himself over and unleashed a powerful mule kick to the Loki shadow that was behind him.

As the two dropped unconscious, three more attempted to attack Naruto from three sides simultaneously. Once they were close enough, Naruto dropped his other hand down and spread his legs out in a hand stand split and started to spin with unimaginable speed. The three shadows didn't stand a chance to react as each had the left sides of their faces smashed in by no less than twenty high speed kicks.

The last shadow charged forward, determined to stab Naruto with his baton. However, just as he was about to reach him, Naruto pushed off high into the air with both arms and flipped himself up and turned, unleashing a powerful side kick to the shadow's jaw, sending him flying before landing on his feet again. Needless to say, all the Fists, even Loki, stood in awe of the damage done. Loki however started to shake and chuckle like a kid at Christmas as he looked at Naruto. "_This kid is even better than I could have hoped for!"_

However, some of the Fists tried to keep their composure while Valkyrie just looked unimpressed. "Big deal, so he beat a few of Loki's goons, anyone of us could have done that easily."

Freya however still looked at the battlefield before turning to Valkyrie. "Valkyrie, you may want to take another look before you start passing judgment."

Odin and Hermit also had their eyes drawn to the stranger with looks of surprise and awe. Valkyrie, still angered, looked again and still couldn't see what about it was such a big deal. However, after a few seconds her eyes widen in shock and realization. "No way…"

Freya nodded at her comrade's realization. "He never moved from his starting spot, despite all those attacks and movements he is still standing at the same spot as when he began."

Odin quietly spoke to himself. "That guy managed to defeat seven armed opponents without so much as moving an inch forward or back." The leader of Ragnarok stared at the individual and into his cold blue eyes. "_Perhaps Loki was right for once, this guy may very well be Fist material."_

As they continued to look at the scene in awe, Loki turned to them, his grin still present. "So, are you convinced yet, or do you need more proof?"

The other fists turned their attention to Loki as he continued to chuckle at his little victory. Valkyrie however balled her hands to fists in absolute anger as her body began to shake.

"_NO WAY IN HELL I'M GONNA LET THIS GUY JUST WALTZ IN HERE AND TAKE WHAT I SPENT TWO YEARS WORKING FOR!" _She thought.

She prepared to speak, but another voice beat her to the punch. "If you don't like me you can just say so."

The Eighth Fist's head turned towards the mysterious recruit in response to his words. As she stared at him, he continued to speak while the other seven watched their interaction.

"I can tell that despite this none of you really wants to trust me and I can't say I blame any of you for that. After all, I just waltzed in here and start trampling all over your rules and traditions. If you need more proof that I am capable of being one of the Fists, just tell me what I have to do and I will do it."

The eight Fists looked at him with a slight hint of respect since they could tell that every word out of his mouth was honest. He was really willing to prove himself even further just for them to trust him. Needless to say that said something about his character that earned him a bit of respect from some of the Fists.

Loki however wasn't happy with this development. "_Damnit, this wasn't part of the plan! He may be good but who's to say they won't make him do something extreme? My whole plan will be shot to hell!" _Sweat dripped down Loki's back as he awaited their decision.

Finally Odin turned to Naruto with an impassive look on his face. "Very well, if you truly want to prove that you are worthy of being a Fist then I have just the task for you."

Naruto simply looked back at Odin. "Whatever it is, I will do it. Just say the word." Odin nodded to him as he continued.

"As you know, Ragnarok's main purpose is to become the most powerful gang in the entire city and then all of Japan. Up to this point we haven't had much trouble with other rival gangs. However, that's different now. Roughly six miles east of here, near an abandoned part of the city, resides a gang called 'The Devil's Hand'. "

Each Fist turned to Odin, shock evident on their faces, but on none's more than on Loki's. "_THE DEVIL'S HAND! IS ODIN INSANE? THOSE GUYS ARE THE WORST GANG AROUND HERE, EVEN THE COPS ARE AFRAID OF THEM!"_

It was true though, the Devil's Hand members weren't as skilled fighters as the Fists, but they made up for it with their sheer numbers and dangerous actions. Several members of the group were known for attacking police officers during the night and had even burned down several buildings. The Eight Fists could probably take them down, though they were hesitant at the idea. Odin had also strictly prohibited the group from approaching them without the other Fists present. And now he was planning to send only one guy at them. Loki knew that no matter how skilled Naruto was, he wouldn't walk out of there alive.

"What I want you to do is to go to their hideout and force them to disband. If you can do this I will gladly make you one of the Deadly Fists."

Odin looked down to Naruto, waiting for the hooded teen's response, half expecting him to run away. However, he was shocked when Naruto slowly turned around and began to head in the direction he had indicated.

Before he left the building he turned his head slightly to the others. "Don't worry, this shouldn't take long." He then disappeared into the darkness.

Loki took the chance to turn to Odin, his grin gone and his anger evident. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND ODIN? YOU PRETTY MUCH SENT HIM ON A SUICIDE MISSION! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" He continued to glare at his leader through his goggles.

"I have to agree with Loki, it's one thing if it were one of us, but we barely know anything about this boy. He could be killed." Freya said with a hint of worry in her voice.

Odin however simply turned his back to them. "Becoming a Fist is not just some title we give to anyone, especially not some upstart who got lucky. I am doing this because I have a feeling that there is more to that boy than we saw." The First Fist then continued to walk towards the exit.

"Where are you going, Odin?" Thor asked causing their leader to turn towards them.

"I am going to follow him and see the results." He slowly turned forward again and resumed his walk. The other Fists exchanged looks between themselves before moving forward as well, eager to see what would become of their new recruit. None of them was prepared for what they would see.

(Scene Change Devi's Hand Hideout)

If one were to look at this part of the city, they would quickly turn the other way. To describe it in words would not suffice, as the place was horrible to observe. Broken buildings with rooted ceilings, narrow alleyways and garbage littered across the ground. However, what people feared most were the individuals lurking within the hollow grounds.

Near the center of the abandoned buildings was a large warehouse where lights were visible and some background sounds could be heard. The image of a skeletal hand in the center of a pentagram was painted on the front of it with the words "Devil's Nest" written below it. This was the image Naruto saw when he walked through the haggard area.

He quickly reached the door and unleashed a powerful kick, knocking it in and causing electricity from old cables to spew out of the building. Upon taking a look inside Naruto was confronted with the eyes of roughly 40 to 50 thugs that looked like they belonged in prison. Weapons could be seen everywhere and the gang's symbol was painted on every wall.

Naruto however was not deterred in the slightest as he entered the building. With each step he took, another member picked up a weapon which ranged from pipes to knives to even a few swords. He soon reached the center of the building and was surrounded on all sides.

"Well, well guys, look what we got here. Some punk decided to enter the Devils' territory, what should we do with him?" The leader exclaimed. Chants of words like 'kill' or 'sacrifice' echoed throughout the building. Naruto simply glared at the group of thugs.

He slowly turned his head around, observing the group before facing the boss. "I have been sent by Ragnarok. Either you disband your group quietly or I kick your asses and make you."

All was silent for a moment before the entire gang burst into laughter. They were clearly not intimidated. "So Ragnarok finally grew a pair and decided to try and take us down, who would have thought? Shame they only sent one punk, we could have had some serious fun."

All the members readied their weapons and prepared to attack. "However, even if there is only one of you we can't ignore a challenge. I hope you don't have any regrets, kid." All the members roared as they charged Naruto from all sides.

However, Naruto didn't move but rather shifted his eyes to each side for a moment before sighing. "I guess it's the hard way then."

(Time skip, half an hour later)

The Eight Fists stood in shock at the sight before them. The smashed in gateway of the Devil's Nest made it obvious that their new recruit had gone through with the request. They had hoped to arrive in time to lend a hand. Once inside though they were met with an even more unbelievable sight. Over fifty individuals were laid out on the floor, weapons scattered all around them and every member bruised and bleeding. In the center stood Naruto and he looked like he didn't even have as much as one scratch on him. Needless to say they were convinced. Odin slowly approached Naruto, who turned to face him. Ragnarok's leader tensed slightly at the possibility of him lashing out but was instead met with a simple question. "Do I pass?"

The purple haired fighter didn't know how to react at first, though he managed to compose himself quickly as he spoke. "Yes, you pass. You can now call yourself one of the Deadly Fists of Ragnarok, and as such you will replace Valkyrie as the Eighth Fist."

Before Valkyrie could even begin to argue, Naruto looked back at Odin. "If it's all the same with you, she can keep her title. I don't feel like taking it from her." Both Valkyrie and Odin were surprised by his answer.

"What title do you want then?"

He responded without hesitation. "If it's alright with you, you can just call me the Ninth Fist of Ragnarok. If you wonder why, well, let's just say I have a special connection to that number."

The others paused for a moment before nodding their heads in agreement. "Before you can be properly inducted you will need a codename to go with your rank, preferable one associated with the Norse mythology."

Surprisingly, Loki was the one who spoke out. "That's already been decided, his codename will be Fenrir."

Odin paused as he thought it over. "Fenrir, huh? Well it definitely fits."

Each Fist nodded in agreement as they looked at their newest member. Gone was Naruto Uzumaki. From this moment on there stood only Fenrir, the Ninth Fist of Ragnarok.

***Ninth Fist end***

Well that's the Chapter, hope everyone enjoyed it and sorry for the wait but school has been hard but I will try to provide an update at least once a month.

**Now questions**

Fenrir- in Norse Mythology Fenrir was a massive Wolf like monster born as the son of Loki. It is said that on the day of Ragnarock he will appear and bring destruction to the world.

The Devil's Hand- a gang I made up basically composed of thug and teenage delinquents who aren't afraid to commit horrific acts. They attack and have come close to killing a few people and show no fear. Thus the reason Raganrock was so hesitate to attack them.

Naruto taking the whole gang out single handed- While it may seem impossible remember he was trained by a true martial arts master and has his ninja skills. Thus could handle a bunch of thugs easy.

Naruto's strength- Currently Naruto is much stronger than most of Ragnarock as unlike most of them he was trained by a real master. As such only Odin really can challenge him, so he is roughly as strong as one of the members of Yomi.

Now the pairing, as said previously you can now vote on who the pairing in this story will be however there are a few rules.

Only vote once and that's it

No Harem, one girl period

Shigure and Miu are no in the poll so don't vote

I am not changing the poll so don't ask.

This poll will conclude in three chapters.

Choices

Freya- Third Fist of Ragnarock

Kisara- Eigth Fist of Ragnarock

Renka Ma- Kensei Ma's daughter

Vote and I will see what I can do with the results. Till then see you later.


	4. Chapter 4

Yo! Everyone it's Agurra of the Darkness here with the next installment of The Ninth fist. This one took a lot of time to write and while there isn't a huge battle there is some serious character interaction. So be prepared.

Enjoy the story and remember to Read and Review. Also forgot to do this but

Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness does not own Naruto or Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple in anyway.

Had to get that out of the way. With that in mind enjoy

**-NINTH FIST START-**

_(Dreamscape)_

*_Explosions*_

_Naruto's mind spun and crashed against itself as he was thrown by the impact of the unexpected explosion._

_Noises and sounds were distorted, his ears booming and his head was throbbing as he tried to raise his head. He could barely make out the dust clouds that surrounded that area around him. Slowly he regained the feeling in his ears as he slowly turned his head around._

_At first all he could see were the clouds of dust but slowly he could see shapes moving through the dust. Sounds and voices could be heard as well though nothing coherent. The blonde ninja geared to stand and run, only for another sound to reach his ears._

_Naruto turned and found the shadow of a figure towering over him. Limbs still too shook up he couldn't move and could only lie helpless as the figure closed in. He reached out his hand and slowly inched closer to Naruto._

_Naruto could feel the heat coming from his hands and prepared for the worst when…_

(Dream End)

*Breathing heavy*

Naruto sat up, sweat dripping down his forehead and face, as his blue eyes darted around the room. Once it was clear and the room was empty he slowly eased his breathing. "That dream again, why can't I remember anything," Naruto spoke to himself before placing his left hand to his forehead to wipe away the sweat. He slowly rose from his bed. Before he had a chance to think further on his dream the sound of pounding diverted his attention.

"Finally awake? Good, what happened, you look like crap." Naruto turned to the doorway. Standing in it was a young teenage boy roughly sixteen years old. He was what many would consider a pretty boy with a relatively attractive face, light purple eyes and short light blonde hair. His facial expression was rather cold and somewhat cruel reminiscent of someone Naruto knew from the past.

His name was Natsu Tanimoto, better known as Ragnarock's Sixth Fist Hermit and Naruto's roommate/landlord.

Naruto lightly glared at his new comrade's remark before lightly stretching himself out, "Thanks for the compliment, any other cracks you want to make?" Naruto slowly approached his closet where his clothes were stored. Even with his back turned Naruto could feel Natsu's eyes glaring into his back. He made his dislike of the current living situation known last night when the two were stuck with each other.

_(Flashback, an hour after the Devils Hand incident)_

_The newly christened Nine Deadly Fists of Ragnarock were currently in a bit of a bind that their martial arts skills couldn't bail them out of._ "_Alright now which one of you will be taking Fenrir since he doesn't have a place to say?" Odin looked at the eight other fists his arms crossed in annoyance at their inability to come to a decision._

_Valkyrie stared back at their Leader "Why doesn't Loki take him in, he's his pet after all." Her eyes slowly drifted to Loki who was wearing his ever-present grin with his arms crossed._

"_Sorry Valkyrie but where I live is classified information, and if I told anyone I would have to kill them." That remark earned him a kick to the skull from the angry red who was now comically stomping on his head with steam coming out of her ears._

"_Don't feed us that spy bullshit, you brought this guy here so he should live with you." Once she felt like she had given him enough punishment she stepped back from the now slightly battered fourth fist._

_Loki quickly recovered however and lightly dusted himself off, "Look Valkyrie, my place isn't exactly what you would call livable by normal standards and to be honest I don't like sharing, besides there are seven other people. You expect me to believe not one of them can make room."_

_Thor responded first, "Sorry but I still live with my parents and they don't usually let me have friends over."_

_Siegfried was next though his attention seemed more focused on a song he was writing, "While I would enjoy the idea of learning more about our new comrade, my home is full at the moment." The last part he sad in a somewhat saddened tone._

_Freya and Berserker both rather than responding simply looked at Loki with an expression that read, "No way and don't ask why."_

_Loki quickly turned and pointed toward the only fist yet to refuse, "Fine what about Hermit, we all know he lives alone and no one would complain if he suddenly got a new tenant righ….." Loki's words were silenced by an ominous aura being emitted from said hooded individual._

_Though his face wasn't visible Loki could feel the cold eyes of Hermit burning into him, "Listen Loki, I don't share my house with anyone and unless you have a death wish, you'll drop that thought from your mind."_

_Loki however was far from intimidated and opened his mouth to retort but was quickly drowned out by Odin, "Actually I think that would be a good idea, considering Hermit has the most open space of all of us."_

_Hermit snapped his head so fast to Odin one wondered how it didn't snap off, "NO WAY IN HELL AM I GONNA SHARE MY HOUSE WITH ANYONE, PERIOD!" He continued to glare at their leader through his hood but his anger was quickly silenced under Odin's gaze._

"_Listen Hermit I know you prefer to live alone and I don't have a problem with that. However as it stands you are the only one who has any space for Fenrir to stay in. Thus regardless of whether you like it or not he is staying with you." With that last thought Odin raised his hand to adjust his glasses, his way of saying "My decision stands."_

_Thus Hermit shoulders dropped in defeat though his anger was still present as he proceeded to walk towards the exit before turning to Fenrir who had been standing in the same spot for the whole conversation. Hermit light jerked his head to the exit indicating for him to follow._

_Fenrir followed without question and thus followed his new comrade to what would be his new residence._

_(End of Flashback)_

Thus Naruto/Fenrir had taken up to living at Hermits place. He quickly was told the ground rules after Hermit revealed his normal everyday identity as Natsu Tanimoto. Namely the rules were simple, stay away from him and don't talk to him unless it was important. It kinda of reminded Naruto of Sasuke from the genin days.

Once Naruto was garbed in a pair of black jeans, blue and black sneakers, a white jacket and his wolf marked t-shirt he exited his room and made his way down the stairs. He quickly arrived in the Kitchen and caught sight of Natsu shoving so of the typical unhealthy crap he called breakfast. Another thing Naruto learned about his roommate was he held little account for taste and would eat just about anything.

Thankfully Naruto had enough sense to buy some food for himself. He quickly reached out got some cereal and milk, poured into a bowl and sat at the chair opposite Natsu.

The two sat in silence for a time and it began to tear on Naruto's nerves. All this antisocial quiet wasn't what he signed up for. Thankfully Natsu finished quickly and proceed to grab his school bag. Naruto turned to him with a half awake glance

"Heading to school for another fun filled day of fake smiles, bad mouthing others and generally being a closet emo with nine foot stick up your ass?" The bluntness of his tone only added to the remark.

A pot that had been resting on the table near the door flew at his head, which Naruto quickly stopped with his left leg before pushing it up into the air, catching it and setting down. The door slammed shut as Naruto's eyes closed in slight boredom, "Have a Nice day too."

(Time Skip, Afternoon)

Naruto was currently sitting outside and enjoying the sun as he looked toward the setting sun. His day up to this point had been pretty un eventful with Natsu not being around to mess with. So he pretty much walked around the neighborhood for a time, read some of the books in the house and finally got on the roof to watch the sun.

As he stared at the sun it reminded him of the time he was on Sol's boat, "_Wonder what Sol-Sensei is up too? Knowing him probably dancing or playing his music." _Naruto's thoughts were quickly interrupted when he sensed someone approaching. However he didn't need to look to know who it was.

Naruto sighed, "Hermit, you're actually home before night fall and all dressed up I see, what's the occasion?" Hermit didn't respond at first nor did he even twitch at Naruto's attempted humor. He only raised his hand pointing in the direction of a small bridged over the river.

"Apparently the Shinpaku Alliance is gonna be heading past there, they're getting too full of themselves and we've been ordered to knock them down a notch." That got Naruto's attention. He had heard Hermit and the others mention the Shinpaku alliance. Though from what Naruto heard the only really dangerous member was a guy named Kenichi Shirahama.

Naruto turned to Hermit, "So this just a threat dealing mission or do we go straight for the kill?" Hermit again didn't respond only turned his back to head down the stairs. Naruto took that as his cue and went to change into his Fenrir outfit.

Once all was said and done the two headed out to unleash some serious hell to an unfortunate group of fools.

(Scene Change, the Bridge)

As the sun set around the neighborhood the sound of rushing water an wind blowing could be heard. Rather that would be true if it weren't being drowned out by an obnoxious laughing. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, TAKE A LOOK EVERYONE, MAKE WAY FOR THE SHINPAKU ALLIANCE!" the voice boomed across the way.

The sounds could be traced to a boy, if you could call him that, of about fifteen. He was dressed in a simple white collared shirt, jeans and white shoes. His face however was oddly narrow, his ears pointed, slanted eyes with a maniacal grin on his face and a dark green bowl cut. All and all he looked like a class A freak.

Said freak was known as Haruo Niijima, self-proclaimed best friend of Kenichi Shirahama and founder of the Shinpaku alliance. Once the group had been established, the pointy-eared demon boy had been flaunting their power all over the city. At his back were four other members one of whom was carrying a flag with the words "Shinpaku Alliance," in kanji.

Niijima continued onward nearing the bridge with a smug grin. '_Now that the alliance has been formed those fools in Ragnarock won't dare mess with us,'_ he thought. He quickly broke out into another sinister laugh, only to lose his voice at the sight by bridge.

"_Oh Crap!"_

At the other end of the bridge were two hooded individuals, one of whom Niijima immediately recognized. _"Oh great, it's the Sixth fist of Ragnarock Hermit, but whose the other guy?"_

The two parties stared silently at each other for a few moments before one of Shinpaku walked forward. "Hey don't you block our way, we're with the Shinpaku Alliance, so you guys don't scare us." He quickly readied back his fist and charged the two.

Before he even had a chance to strike Hermit quickly pushed his left leg out throwing him off balance before grabbing him and throwing him off the bridge. The remaining members watch their comrade fall to the waters bellow. Hermit quickly turned his attention to them before pointing finger towards them.

"I am only gonna ask you this one time, where is Kenichi Shirahama?" his tone was cold and serious showing he wasn't playing around. Niijima started to sweat at the threat, but more so at the other individual. _"Whoever that other guy is he can't be good news for us, better think of something quick."_

The so-called demon boy's eyes quickly drifted around thinking of what he could do. His eyes drifted towards the unconscious team member now sinking at the bottom of the river. He was contemplating tricking Hermit and jumping in, saving the member from drowning and fleeing to the sewers.

"If you are thinking of a way to escape don't bother, you aren't going anywhere till you answer us." A cold tone echoed nearby.

Niijima froze as he felt a presence behind him. He slowly turned around to find second individual standing behind him. _"HOW THE HELL DID HE GET BEHIND ME?"_

The Shinpaku commander was paralyzed as he stared at the hooded individual unable to form a coherent thought. Just as he was about to make a break for the river the flag bearer of the group charged. "Get away from our Commander you scum." He reeled back the flag intending to strike the enemy.

*Snap*

*Smash*

*Splash*

Needless to say Niijima was beyond awestruck at the stranger. With his back turned the stranger delivered a powerful spinning back kick, snapping the flag in half. The bearer, shocked, lost his balance and could not block the second spin kick to his face sending him into the water below.

The remaining members of the Shinpaku stared briefly at the attacker who only glared at them with his cold blue eyes. "Leave Now!" the tone of his voice just screamed pain and death, causing the group to run with their tails between their legs.

The stranger then turned his attention back to Niijima who was now shaking and dripping with sweat. "I will ask you only once and you better answer now, where is Kenichi Shirahama?"

Niijima panicked and quickly reached into his pants pocket before pulling out a small orb. Quickly throwing in to the ground it exploded releasing a thick veil of black smoke. Neither Hermit nor Naruto could react and only were able to make out the sound of a splash below. The two looked over the edge to see their target swimming to the edge, companions in hand. Naruto quickly geared to jump in after them, however Hermit stopped him.

He slowly placed his arms at his side, "Our orders were simply to scare them, and I think they get the idea." Naruto looked back at Hermit and simply nodded. Truth was he didn't feel like using his skills on such unskilled opponents, it didn't feel right to him. So he was grateful they didn't need to go further.

With the sun setting the two teens proceeded to head back home and await their next orders. However, Naruto had other thoughts on his mind, "_Wonder what this Kenichi guy is like? Must be pretty strong the way everyone talks about him, but still."_

Naruto mused over these thoughts for a time and finally decided on one thing. "_Tomorrow, I will find this Kenichi guy and see what he's made off."_

(Next Day)

Naruto looked up at the sky as he ran across the rooftops of the buildings in the neighborhood. His current plan was to see if he could find Kenichi Shirahama and get a good measure of his skills. Natsu, aka Hermit, had left early and left a rather colorfully worded note. Apparently he would be in play for the drama club and be gone longer. Hermit's ability to change his persona from a cold-hearted bastard to a kind pretty boy never stopped surprising Naruto. However he wasn't going to dwell on it right now, as he was currently in route to Hermit's school to see if he could find Shirahama.

"THAT MACHO CRAP REALLY PISSES ME OFF!" a loud, violent and strangely familiar voice quickly ran through the air getting Naruto's attention. He quickly halted and searched for the source and was met with quite a surprise.

"Valkyrie? What the heck is she doing here?" Below he could see the red headed Eighth fist looking especially angry. With a scream of rage she proceeded to charge towards someone Naruto didn't recognize.

He was roughly fifteen years old with short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a white collared shirt and jeans. The only other noticeable thing was a small Yin-yang badge attached to his collar. All in all he looked like a pretty average guy. That brought up the question, why Valkyrie was wailing on him?

Naruto just sat there and watched his enraged comrade unleash a barrage of vicious kicks to the boys' body. Each kick made contact and obvious looked painful, yet strangely the teen simply raised his arms to block. _"What the Hell is the matter with this guy? Yeah Valkyrie's a great fighter but he could at least try to fight back."_

With each kick landed the Eighth fists anger became more intense and so did her attacks.

"_Why won't this idiot fight back? Is he really going to just to stand there and do nothing just cause I'M A GIRL?" _Valkyrie seethed mentally. With that thought she leapt into the air and spun, before unleashing a powerful roundhouse kick. The force behind it was so intense she actually managed to push him back a few feet. Yet he still stood, arms crossed in front of his face.

Kisara continued to glare at his unwillingness to fight, "So what are seriously just going to let me pummel you into the ground just cause I'm a girl?" That got Naruto's attention.

"_What? They can't be serious?" _However Naruto's skepticism was put to rest as the unnamed individual lower his arms to face Kisara. "Yes, no matter what I swore to myself I would never hit a girl no matter what." That was all Naruto needed to hear.

(Kisara's POV)

"_This Damn Idiot, he's just like everyone else." _Her mind flashed back to her time before Ragnarock when she was part of her school's Tae Kwon Do club. She dedicated herself to training and worked harder than anyone. Yet the memory of that one match still echoed in her mind.

The words her defeated opponent repeated in like a broken record, "_Of course I held back, you think I would actually lose to a girl." _Ever since then she vowed to become strong enough to show a girl can win against a man without handicaps. Yet here this guy was doing the very thing she hated most. It infuriated her to no end, like he was mocking her dreams and goal.

However before she even had a chance to move she felt a hand on her shoulder. "I think that's enough Valkyrie, you really should think about this before charging in." Kisara's eyes quickly darted to her left side and were met with the hooded visage of Fenrir.

All the anger she felt suddenly was replaced with confusion and curiosity. Meanwhile her opponent was simply confused. However she quickly changed her demeanor back to angry as she slapped Fenrir's hand away, before pointing her finger at him.

"Just what the hell are you doing here, I don't remember asking you to show up and tell me how to fight pal!" She glared at him with her green eyes filled with slight angry though he wasn't intimidated. Instead he walked forward till he was a few feet ahead of her. He then turned his head slightly to Kisara.

"I saw you were having some trouble and thought you could use a hand." While his tone only contained sincerity it didn't get the desired effect.

Kisara was beyond angry and started unleashing kicks on Fenrir instead. However he easily dodged them, while remaining stationary. Each kick became more reckless and violent as her anger grew, "WHAT DO YOU THINK JUST CAUSE I'M A GIRL I NEED YOUR STINKING CHARITY, WELL SCREW YOU PAL?" She then unleashed a powerful ax kick, however Fenrir spun to the left dodging it before getting behind Kisara.

With great speed he locked both arms behind her back and stopped her legs with his own. This only furthered her anger as she began to trash and squirm like a caged beast. Despite the struggle Fenrir held firm, this caused the trapped Kisara to start scream obscenities left and right.

She would have continued had Fenrir not released one of his hands to clamp it over her mouth. Before she even had time to react he spoke in a calm voice, "Just listen to me Valkyrie for a second."

Despite the fact she didn't enjoy being grabbed something about the way he spoke had a sort of calming effect on her. Thus she stopped trashing and struggling.

Fenrir paused, "Now I will let you go, so just let me say what I have to okay?" Though she was still tense and a bit angry, Kisara nodded her head. Thus the hooded fist released her.

Kisara turned to him and awaited his "explanation." He slowly met with her gaze and began.

"Listen, I didn't come here to help you because I thought you couldn't take him," Naruto jabbed his thumb towards the boy on the floor, "nor did it have anything to do with the fact you are a girl, that's not the reason."

The red head actually gained a slightly shocked expression on her face but kept her composure. Crossing her arms and adopting a serious expression she looked at him, "Well then why exactly did you want to help me?"

"We're Comrades, why else?" he spoke with serious yet kind tone. Kisara's serious face dropped like lead at his words. Now she bore a face of shock and confusion instead.

"Wha?" She barely managed to get out. In truth despite all her time in Ragnarock she had never once heard the members refer to themselves as Comrades or even friends. So to hear it coming from this guy, she couldn't find the right words for it.

Fenrir however simply turned to face the teen his proclaimed comrade had been pummeling. He stared at him and spoke with the utmost seriousness, "Alright who are you and why are you standing in my friends way?"

The stranger quickly shook himself out of his daze and spoke somewhat hesitantly, "Um I'm Kenichi Shirahama and who are you exactly?"

Naruto stood there briefly before, "Did you say your name was Kenichi Shirahama?"

The now identified Kenichi slowly nodded his head in response. Almost instantly Naruto began to chuckle to the point where his body was shaking. That managed to freak out the two standing individuals.

Kisara who had quickly forgotten her previous shock slowly reach her hand towards her now seemingly insane friend. "Um you alright?"

Naruto quickly stopped his somewhat disturbing chuckling and stopped shaking before turning to Kisara. He put his hand behind his head as he looked at her, "Sorry about that, just I spent a good portion of the day looking for this guy and now here he is."

With those words spoken he lower his hands and turned to Kenichi. "Sorry for the interruption, I needed to get that off my chest. Before we get any further I believe you asked me for my name?"

Once again Kenichi nodded in response.

Naruto slowly raised his right hand and turned the back to face kenichi. This displayed a black glove similar to Kisara's, the only difference being it held the Roma numeral for nine instead of eight.

"I am the Ninth Deadly Fist of Ragnarock, Fenrir." a small amount of pride could be heard in his voice. However Kenichi was more shocked then anything else. _"Great just what I need, another one of the fists to deal with. Wait did he say Ninth Fist?"_

Kenichi looked at the glove and saw that it did in fact have the symbol for 9 though he was still confused. "Um not to complain or anything but I thought there were only eight fists of Ragnarock not nine?"

Now introduced Fenrir lightly chuckled at the response. "You would be right, however I am new to the group and so you probably haven't heard of me, but I know a bit about you. Mainly you have been causing Ragnarock a lot of grief in the past, something I intend to rectify."

Naruto slowly walked toward Kenichi, cracking his neck and knuckles as he moved. He looked towards his opponent expecting him to be ready to fight.

"Huh?"

In place of Kenichi was a dust cloud, which could be seen going in the opposite direction. All the while Naruto could have sworn he heard the words, "STRATEGIC WITHDRAWAL?"

*Silence*

Naruto simply stood there unable to grasp what exactly just happened. He slowly turned his head to kisara, "Did he just run away?"

Not sure how else to answer she simply replied, "Yeah he booked while you were engrossed in your little speech."

Once again all was silent. Naruto for moment didn't even breath, almost like he was frozen in place. However the moment lasted briefly and his confusion was replaced with what could be called humorous anger.

"THAT LOUSY SON OF A BITCH, WHERE DOES HE THINK HE IS GOING? I SPENT ALL DAY LOOKING FOR HIS SORRY ASS AND WHEN I FINALLY FIND HIM HE RUNS AWAY. DAMIT?"

Forgetting everything else Naruto turned in the direction Kenichi ran and bolted after him, leaving Kisara in the dust. She stood there briefly before turning around and proceeding to walk away.

However she stopped and turned towards where Fenrir had been. If one looked a small smile appeared on her face before she turned. "That Fenrir guy might not be such a jerk after all."

(Scene Change, Later Afternoon)

After running for more than two hours Naruto still hadn't managed to find his fleeing target, which wasn't doing much for his anger. Seeing the setting sun managed to calm him down as he started to head back home.

The hooded ninja slowly approached the highway road that lead to his house when a strange wind blew past him.

"What the hell?" He quickly turned and barely managed to catch a glimpse of two very unusual men. What really struck him was what the two were doing.

In the middle of the road hopping from one car to another was a middle age man, who surprisingly was about the same height as he was when Naruto was a genin. He was glad in a light grey Chinese coat, black pants and Chinese shoes. On his head was a black bowl hat that covered most of his brown hair. The only other characteristic Naruto could spot was the rather large brown mustache on his face.

The second man however was even stranger. He almost seven feet tall wearing an open brown jacket showing of his extremely muscled body. Besides that he also wore a pair of jeans and black shoes. The man had short blue hair with a cowlick and a long narrow scar running across his nose. What made this man unbelievable was the fact he was currently running close to fifty miles an hour.

Had Naruto been a normal person this would have shocked him, but he was far from normal. One thing he could tell about the two was obvious, "Those two must be martial arts masters."

However Naruto quickly turned his attention to what the two were heading towards and saw something rather surprising.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Not to far ahead of the two master Naruto could make out a large bus with what appeared to be two people fighting on top. Upon closer inspection Naruto was able to see they were in fact Kenichi Shirahama and Hermit.

Naruto sighed in annoyance as he quickly jumped into the road and hopped from one car to another before reaching the other side. Once done he quickly hopped to the top of the wall and ran in the direction of the bus at top speed.

All the while he kept his eyes focus on the two combatants, _"Just hope those two idiots don't do anything stupid before I get there!"_

(Hermit's POV)

Hermit was currently unleashing the full furry of his hatred onto Kenichi Shirahama. He held nothing back and seemed to be aiming to kill. Yet no matter where he struck him, the guy just refused to stay down.

"_What is with this guy, how many times to I have to hit him before he stays down for good?"_

Hermit quickly regained his focus in time to dodge another punch from his opponent before retaliating with another knife strike. Once again made contact but he still stood.

"Enough of this, I am ending you right now. DIE SHIRAHAMA!" He launched his knife hand for Kenichi's throat determined to kill him. However Kenichi got quickly in front of his between his arms to deliver a left open hand upper cut to Hermits chin.

There wasn't nearly enough force to do any damage but Hermit quickly found himself wedged in place. Angrier than ever at his opponents unwillingness to admit defeat Hermit gear up to finish him. His eyes though quickly drift to Kenichi's to see Kenichi move his right hand and place his palm under his left elbow.

"_What's he doing?" _Hermit quickly reverted his eyes to his intended victim to see his face full of confidence as he shouted, "TAKE THIS MASTER KENSEI'S SECRET TECHNIQUE." Using his right hand Kenichi was able to push his left arm forward with enough force to send him and Hermit flying off the bus.

(Naruto's POV)

Naruto had watched the whole thing and knew what was about to happen. He quickly picked up speed to catch the bus.

"_This is gonna be close."_

Once Naruto was close enough he quickly dropped off the wall before putting his legs onto the wall and pushing off. With incredible speed, the blonde ninja rocketed towards Hermit.

The instant he was close enough he grabbed the Sixth fist by the back of his coat and flung he with all his strength onto the bus. Once he was on Naruto flipped in the air and used to the momentum to land of the top of the bus before pushing himself off towards Kenichi.

Like with Hermit he quickly grabbed the now panicking fighter the front of his shirt and hurled him back onto the bus as well. With the road approaching quickly, Naruto thought fast and flipped forward, managing to land his feet onto a passing car before pushing off. With almost inhuman agility he landed on another three cars roofs before leaping back onto the bus.

Needless to say, all those watching even the masters were impressed with his little show. Now however Naruto turned his attention to Kenichi and Hermit.

One would have expected the two to be grateful for the assist but Hermit was far from it as he approached Naruto. The angry kenpo user grabbed his house guest by the nap of his shirt and glared at him with inhuman anger.

"WHAT THE HELL FENRIR, I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO INTERFERE, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU SO BU…." That was all Hermit managed to get out before he felt the wind leave his body.

Looking down he found Fenrir's left knee planted deeply into his abdomen. He quickly released his grip before kneeling over painfully and coughing trying to get his oxygen back.

While Hermit was hacking Naruto turned his attention to Kenichi who was now looking quite shocked. Though his shock turned to slight anger as he point accusingly to the hooded ninja.

"What was that for, you guys are both a part of Ragnarock, why are you attacking him?"

Naruto turned to the coughing Hermit before turning to Kenichi. "He wasn't thinking straight and it was the only way I could think of to calm him down."

Kenichi was more confused then ever but listened as Naruto continued, "While I know for a fact Hermit probably could have saved himself from that fall, I can't exactly ignore him falling, nor ignore him when he is doing something stupid."

That remark earned him a weak glare from Hermit, though he still couldn't muster out an insult. "Hermit was letting his anger get the better of him and getting sloppy in his fight. If he had continued it would have dragged out longer than necessary and If I hadn't interfered I have no doubt those two following us would have."

Kenichi quickly turned to see both his Karate and Kenpo Masters following the bus with ease. Rather Kensei was riding a Car and Sakakie was running after them.

"Now then Kenichi Shirahama," Kenichi quickly turned to Fenrir who looked ready to fight.

"I believe you and I have some unfinished business to settle and you won't be running away from me this time." Kenichi quickly panicked and raised both arms in defense.

"Look I don't want to fight you, I don't even have a reason. So can we please just get off this bus?" The response Kenichi got was a hard kick to the face causing him to roll to the edge of the bus.

He quickly jumped to his feet and prepared to retort when he was stopped by an unbearably cold voice.

"….Pathetic"

Kenichi stood paralyzed by the sudden coldness in Fenrir's tone. Looking at him Kenichi could actually feel the cold anger just by looking at his eyes.

Fenrir just stood there still holding that cold harsh glare at Kenichi. "Don't have a reason to fight? You think just because you can't think of a good reason for us to fight you can just give up?"

Kenichi didn't know how to respond as Fenrir slowly began to move. However instead of moving forward he began swinging his arms side to side while placing one of his legs forward in a lunging position, moving his legs side to side with his arms.

Fenrir then spoke, "**Ginga**."

Before Kenichi even had time to react Fenrir was right in front of him still moving. Kenichi quickly unleashed a roundhouse kick, only for Fenrir to duck down under the kick putting his back leg straight while bending his front and balancing himself with one arm on the ground.

Before Kenichi could react Fenrir quickly raised himself with a quick spin and delivering a powerful Circular kick to Kenichi's face. "**Armada**" he once again spoke.

Kenichi was dazed and unable to get his balance, something Fenrir took quick advantage off. He quickly leapt forward spun sideways in the air and smashed his left shin into kenichi's face while still in the air.

While Fenrir landed on his feet, Kenichi spun twice in the air before landing hard on his face. Fenrir had his back to his downed opponent and slowly spoke, "**Martelo Rotado."**

Kenichi could barely move and struggled to get up. He was already banged up from Kisara and Hermit, but the force behind each of Fenrir's attack was on a whole different level. Added to the impact of the fall and he was down.

Fenrir however looked at his struggling opponent and slowly walked towards him. Said fist took note of the increasingly dangerous aura emanating from the masters below. Once he was in front of Kenichi, Fenrir lowered his hand and grabbed Kenichi by his collar.

He then proceeded to lift the now battered and bruised Disciple up with one arm. Walking towards the edge of the bus he could hear Kenichi's grunts of pain. Once he reached the edge, the fist raised his defeated opponent till he was at eye level with him.

Looked at his face he could see Kenichi was drifting between conscious and unconscious. Thus with quick movement he buried his free hand into Kenichi's abdomen. Said fight gasped for breath as he felt his ribs crack under the pressure of the blow.

The pain had however woken him up enough to meet Fenrir's gaze where brown eyes met blue. Fenrir then spoke once again in that cold tone that sent chills down Kenichi's spine.

"You want to know the reason I fight you. It's simple, I am a member of Ragnarock and you hurt and humiliated my comrades. That's all the reason I need."

Kenichi was barely able to make out his words as the pain was becoming greater but still managed to keep himself focused to hear.

Fenrir looked back at him and prepared to make his message clear. "Keep this in mind Kenichi Shirahama, there is no way I will let you shame my teammates names with your cowardly attitude or harm them at all. Unless you have the guts to stand and fight, stay out of our way or next time you won't walk away."

With those words he tossed the battered boy off the bus though thankfully into the arms of his masters.

Even as the bus moved away from them Naruto could feel their anger still present but wasn't bothered. He then turned to Hermit who had at that point been watching the whole time.

Needless to say, he didn't really know how to respond to what he just saw. In a matter of minutes he witnessed Fenrir demolish Kenichi Shirahama and swear to more or less fight for the fists simply because they were teammates.

The air was rather tense however Fenrir quickly dropped it with a simple comment. "So Hermit, is this bus heading near home cause it's getting pretty late?"

At that point Hermit lost his composure and face faulted. Having such a silly question asked after such a serious fight, he didn't know whether to be confused, annoyed or pissed off. Though he felt a small smirk appear on his face.

"_Maybe having this guy around won't be as big a pain in the ass as I thought."_

**-NINTH FIST END-**

_Well there you have it, The latest chapter of the ninth fist. If I made Kisara and Hermit to OOC sorry but that's how I wanted them to be more or less. The main idea is how Naruto starts to make the Fists ease up and start to act more like friends as opposed to hating each other._

_For those of you who think Naruto is too strong, once again remember Naruto has had intense Ninja training since he was like six and the insane Martial Arts Training of a master. Put that against Kenichi's maybe a month's worth of training at this point the outcome is obvious._

_Also those bolded words are actual Capoeria moves here are some elaborations._

**Moves List**

_**Ginga**__- most basic of Capoeria moves. The legs begin in a lunging position, one leg in front of the other. The back leg is brought even with the front leg, and then the other leg steps backward_

_**Armada**__- a spinning back kick where you strike the enemy with the outside edge of the foot. You use the momentum to spin and swing your leg._

_**Martelo Rotado**__- a spinning roundhouse kick in the air where you strike your enemy with your foot fully extended._

_(For More info check out videos on Youtube or Look up information online)_

_Now Before I sign of I thought of a brief OMAKE. This is my first try so bare with me._

_-__**SPECIAL OMAKE-**_

Title: Other Landlord

Loki looked at Naruto to talk with him about his living Arrangements. "All right Fenrir, I have gotten Freya to agree to letting you stay with her for now alright."

Naruto nodded, "Anything specific I should know about her?"

Loki only shook his head with his smile still present, "Nothing important, well hope everything works out?" With that Loki waved good bye and left Naruto to Freya.

(Freya's Place)

Naruto was lead to a small but comfortable bed room for himself. "This will be your room for now, feel free to unpack, I'll come check on you later." Freya then exited the room.

Once she was gone Naruto briefly looked around before heading to the draws and placing in his clothing.

After a bout in hour everything was set and Naruto was all settled in.

"Fenrir you done unpacking yet." Freya's voice came from the doorway.

Naruto quickly turned to her, "Yeah everything's finAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Naruto was quickly blown to the wall by a massive nosebleed courtesy of Freya who was currently wear no top or bra at all. Thus it gave Naruto a full view of her, (cough) Assets. (_Just to point out, this is actually true, Freya real does sleep without a top. Read the manga if you don't believe me)._

(Scene change)

Loki for some reason looked to sky and wonder, "I get the feeling I should have told Fenrir that Freya likes to sleep without wearing a top. Huh though its probably not a big deal."

**-Author's Note-**

Well that's it. The only things I have left to say are, Kisara and Renka are in the top spot for the poll who will win?

Also one last thing, if you are going to write a review can you please put more than just the person you are voting for? Just asking. *This has been beta-ed by Sunwraith*


	5. Chapter 5

The Ninth Fist chapter 5

Hey everyone Agurra here with the Latest installment of The Ninth Fist. This chapter will have some serious character involvement that may have an effect on the pairing poll. Speaking of which this is the last chapter to vote so keep that in mind as it is pretty close between Kisara, Freya and Renka. Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter and write some good reviews. So with nothing else to say enjoy.

(Disclaimer)- Agurra of the Darkness does not own Kenichi the Mightest Disciple or Naruto. Believe me if I did there would be a Capoeira character in the series and Miu would lose fights.

**-Ninth Fist Start-**

(Ragnarock's Hideout)

It was roughly 6 hours since Fenrir and Hermits encounter with Kenichi Shirahama who Fenrir soundly defeated. His along with Valkyrie's and Hermit's actions had raised a great amount of tension among the fists. Now they had gathered to discuss said events.

Odin stood on a walkway above the other fists, looking down on them with an unreadable expression. His eyes quickly turned to the three fists in question who had remained silent.

With a slight sigh he closed his eyes in irritation, "Lets get this over with shall we. Now Valkyrie from what I understand you were planning to attack Miu Furinji along with your gang, Am I correct?"

The eighth fist diverted her eyes before nodding slightly. Odin's eyes opened at her response before he turned his back to her. "Then if I remember you were confronted by the leader of the Shinpaku Alliance who according to Fenrir you attacked quiet violently. Is that also true?"

Once again Valkyrie averted her eyes and nodded her head in response. Whilst Odin mused over her response the other fists mainly Loki decided to add their points of view.

"Man Valkyrie what happened, couldn't take losing to that Furinji girl so you decided to take matters into your own hands? Once more you didn't even get the chance to fight her, now that I think about it it's kinda of funny, hehehehe." Loki lightly chuckled at the eighth fist earning a glare.

Freya narrowed her eyes at Loki's humor but turned her attention to her former apprentice, "Valkyrie why did you even feel the need to attack that girl in the first place. What exactly were you hoping to accomplish?"

Sadly Loki took his chance to make another jab at the red heads pride, "Isn't it obvious Freya, Valkyrie is just a sore loser and felt her personal vendetta was more important than following orders. If you ask me that makes one question both hers and Hermit's loyalty." The other fists turned their attention to the hooded fist who remained silent with Fenrir not to far away.

Loki with his grin still present made his way over to the pair. "Let me see If I have this right Hermit. Even though you weren't supposed to go after Shirahama, you instead decided to ignore your orders and take him on yourself. Then you not only got beaten but also needed Fenrir to come in and save you, is that about right?" Loki's grin didn't falter as Hermit slowly stood, anger emanating from his body.

The sixth fist raised his head so his eyes could meet Loki's and they screamed pure murder. "You had better watch what you say Loki, unless you want to die!"

Loki was geared to retort but quickly found Fenrir standing between the pair both arms raised. Both Loki and Hermit didn't flinch but were frustrated at the interference. Fenrir however was not deterred.

"Listen both of you, now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves. We are on the same team and should at least act like it. We can't waste our time on each other when we should be worrying about the Shinpaku Alliance or have you forgotten?" His tone was cool and calm which seemed to ease some of the tension in the air.

Loki and Hermit calmed themselves though Hermit's anger was still evident. He turned his back to both of them, "Listen Fenrir, I don't need you to keep jumping in and getting involved with my fights. The next time you try and "_Help_" me you'll be the one I take down, got it!" his last words laced with venom.

Fenrir nodded and lowered both his arms as Hermit sat back down. Loki's grin dropped a bit as Fenrir turned to him. Though he couldn't see them Loki could feel Fenrir's eyes peering into him as he spoke.

"The same for you Loki, you shouldn't go instigating fights among the fists, that is what leads a team to fall apart. While I am grateful to you for recommending me for the group don't think that means I won't bring you down should the need arise." His words though quiet were still deafening to the other fists, as they were not accustomed to this teamwork talk.

Loki's grin almost fell but slowly rose again, "Is that so Fenrir, well I guess I will keep that information in mind. " The fourth fist slowly began to turn before pausing and looking back at Fenrir. "Speaking of info I am curious about what you think of Shirahama. After all you managed to beat him pretty easily. So tell us what do you think of him?"

Each of the fists opened their ears in curiosity awaiting Fenrir's response. Fenrir looked to the sky for a moment, "In my honest opinion." He then lowered his eyes to fists who could see the anger and almost disgust in his eyes as he spoke in a cold tone that sent shivers down their spines.

"He is nothing more than a weak, naïve, coward, not worth our time!"

(Scene Change Ryozanpaku)

"Achoo, OW!"

"Kenichi I told you to stay still, you have four cracked ribs. If you keep moving around you might break them."

The now battered and bruised Kenichi Shirahama winced as his master Kensei continued to wrap bandaged around his ribs. He was still recovering from his hard battle with Hermit and then defeat at the hands of the mysterious Ninth fist Fenrir.

All the while his other masters and Miu were gathered closely around him with looks of worry, fright and even anger.

Kenichi however paid them little mind as he continued to muse over the threat Fenrir had given him while glaring at him with those cold blue eyes.

It still echoed in his mind like a broken record that wouldn't stop playing.

"_Keep this in mind Kenichi Shirahama, there is no way I will let you shame my teammates names with your cowardly attitude or harm them at all. Unless you have the guts to stand and fight, stay out of our way or next time you won't walk away,"_

Kenichi couldn't help but feel fear at the cold seriousness of those words and the pain that came with them. "_That Fenrir guy was serious about everything he said, if I even go near Ragnarock again who knows what he'll do to me? Damn it, what do I do?"_

He clutched his head in anger trying to think of a solution to his dilemma. He would have continued until he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. The injured Disciple turned to find Miu looking at him with a comforting face.

"Are you alright Kenichi, Something bothering you?" Despite his fear Kenichi managed to form a small smile on his face.

He looked at his masters as well who held similar expression, which helped lessen his feelings of fear. Kenichi took a slight breath before looking back at them, "Sorry about that, I was just thinking about what the Ninth fist said to me."

The masters and Miu's faces hardened at the mention of Kenichi's attacker. Once he had be thrown into the arms of his Karate Master, Kenichi practically had to glue himself to Sakaki's leg to keep from chasing after the fists.

Once they managed to return to Ryozanpaku Kensei and Akisame began treating Kenichi almost immediately. During this time the others were told what had happened. The result involved Appachai and Sakaki trying to keep Shigure from going on a killing spree.

Thankfully Kenichi's injures weren't too serious though he had four cracked ribs as well as two bruised ones. Still his defeat did have an effect on the others as well as the description of this new opponent.

Kensei finally finished his bandaging before placing the remaining bandages into the first aid kit. "Alright Kenichi that should do it, though I recommend you don't try to do anything too stressful for a bit." Kenichi nodded at his master's orders before turning his attention to the others.

Akisame who had been up to this point working on his calligraphy calmly placed his brush down before turning to Kenichi. He looked at them all with seriousness in his eyes, "Now that Kenichi is all settled I think we should discuss this new opponent of his."

The other masters along with Miu nodded. Hayato the elder slowly stroke his beard as he observed the others, "Whoever he is, he must have been very well trained to defeat Kenichi so easily. The first thing we should do is identifying the style he practices.

Akisame nodded in agreement, "That's a good idea, Kenichi can you remember anything specific about his fighting style by any chance?"

Kenichi thought for a moment before he nodded and slowly raised himself up. Grunting painfully Kenichi began to imitate Fenrir's starting stance, shifting himself left to right in a lunging position.

The masters observed Kenichi as he moved. Their disciple continued moving as he spoke, "I don't know if this is exactly right but this was how he started out. From what I remembered he called this stance _Ginga."_

Hayato nodded, "So Kenichi's new opponent is a Capoeira practioner. You don't find them to often." Akisame nodded showing he understood the style as well while the other masters were pretty clueless.

Sakaki merely clutched his head in frustration, "Great another fighting style I've never heard of."

Kenichi curious stopped moving and turned to Hayato and Akisame, "So what kind of style is Capoeira, I've never heard of it?" Akisame chose to explain.

"Capoeira, is a fighting style that originated in Brazil. It was developed by African slaves who modified their tribal dances into a fighting style to defend themselves from their slave owners. It is a style that relies on rhythmic and acrobatic movements in conjunction with kicks. It can be quiet effective if mastered properly." Kenichi and the other masters nodded at Akisame's explanation, while Hayato chose to add his input.

"I myself encountered quiet a few Capoeira practioners during my travels with Miu." His face then adopted a serious look, "Some of the fighters I met were extremely powerful and the style itself can be just as dangerous, so you should best be on your guard Kenichi."

Kenichi quickly nodded at the elders explanation and turned to the other masters, "Anything else you guys need to know about him?"

Akisame nodded, "Yes Kenichi, this boys name what did you say it was?"

Kenichi raised his hand to his chin to try to remember his attackers name before a look of realization appeared. "Fenrir, I am pretty sure the guy said his name or codename rather was Fenrir."

Apachai gained a blank expression on his face similar to the one held by Sakaki and Shigure. "Apa, Fenweir that's a weird name."

Akisame sighed slightly at the response, "He said Fenrir, a name found in Norse Mythology." His face then became serious, "One to be feared."

That got the attention of the other masters while sending Kenichi a rather unsettling vibe.

Akisame cleared his throat as he continued, "In Norse Mythology Fenrir was the name of a giant monster wolf, born to Loki god of mischief. It was foretold that he would bring disaster and destruction to the world. Thus he was deceived by the gods and locked away. However it is said that on the day of Raganarock he would escape his binds and kill Odin, the king of the gods."

There was a stilled silence in the room at this rather morbid story, which wasn't doing much to help Kenichi who was now shaking like a leaf. The thoughts in his mind were no better, _"A guy named after a monster that was supposed to kill gods and bring the world to the end. Oh man I'm screwed."_

Seeing his disciples distress Akisame quickly adopted a more lighthearted expression. "There is no need to get too worked up Kenichi, after all this is just some kid using the name, it's not like he is some beast of destruction right."

Kenichi seemed to relax slightly at the response however….

"I am not so sure we can rule that out!" All eyes darted towards Kensei who was sitting with a serious look on his face.

Hayato was especially surprised by the response considering it can from one of the more optimistic members of the dojo. "What do you mean by that Kensei, surely you don't mean this boy is some kind of demon do you?"

The kenpo master shook his head slightly in response, "No not that exactly, more that he is far more dangerous than we seem to think. I can't say for sure but those eyes of his, I could see something there. Those weren't the eyes of just some teenage boy. No those were the eyes…of a Killer!"

There was a pregnant pause so much so a pin could be heard dropping. Each of the masters adopted a very serious expression, one Kenichi had never seen before on any of them. Though he was more focused on those last two words _"a Killer!"_

Kenichi slowly turned to the outside window over looking the city before him where he knew Fenrir lurked waiting for him. _"What have I gotten myself into?"_

(Scene Change, Hermits house)

In the huge Tanimoto mansion one could find only one single light on in the massive mansion along with one occupant. Naruto was currently situated on the living room couch watching some TV while thinking over what had transpired after the meeting with the fists

_(Flashback)_

_The other eight fists stared at Fenrir somewhat surprised by his response, namely saying that Kenichi was nothing more than a coward not worth their time._

_Thor decided to break the silence and bellowed out slightly, "A coward? You sure about that Fenrir? I can't speak from personal experience but the way you make it sound it's like this guy is just some weak kneed punk." Some of the other fists nodded while Loki, Odin and Hermit sat and listened rather eagerly_

_Fenrir looked to them and turned, "When I say he is a coward I mean what I say. During both of our encounters he seemed to look for any sort of excuse not to fight. First when he was fighting Valkyrie he refused to fight her simply on the grounds she was a girl." That merited some confusion from the fists_

_Siegfried looked especially confused as he put his hand to his chin, contemplating the connection. "I am not sure I see how that makes him a coward Fenrir. Most people would consider that an act of Chivalry, don't you believe in that?"_

_At that response Fenrir actually started chuckling and laughing which freaked a good number of the fists out while confusing others._

_Siegfried looked slightly discouraged at the laughter, "Did I say something funny by chance?"_

_Fenrir finally managed to stop laugh and cleared his throat out before turning to Siegfried, "No not exactly. You see where I came from some of the toughest people I knew were women and If I pulled any of that "Chivalry" crap they would have beaten the shit out of me."_

_That remark got Freya's and Valkyrie's attention, so much so Valkyrie actually broke out a smile. "Huh, sound like my kind of girls!" Freya simply nodded while smirking._

_Fenrir then looked up, "Those girls all trained really hard and put themselves through hell to get where they were. Each one dedicated their lives to becoming great fighters, so to refuse to fight them just cause of their gender is the same a spitting on their hard work. Not to mention cowardly since most people I know who pull that are either think they'll hurt the girl or get their egos bruised. Either way it's a cowardly ass reason not to fight and an insult no matter how you look at it." Those last words came out of a Fenrir with serious anger._

_Freya and Valkyrie actually looked at Fenrir with newfound respect, as did Thor and Siegfried. Odin however still didn't look convinced as he adjusted his glasses before looking back at Fenrir._

"_Is that the only reason you think he is a coward Fenrir?" Naturally Fenrir looked to his new leader with a face that read "Not even close." Thus the others quieted themselves to listen._

"_Probably one of the main reasons I think he is a coward is how during his fight with Hermit he spent more time panicking and trying to get out of the fight than actually fighting. Sure he may have been in a situation most would be afraid, however he should know that as a martial artist you will get into fights that are dangerous, even life threatening. Thus you have too choose between running and get killed, or facing your fears head on. Kenichi Shirahama would rather run than stand and that is why he is a coward."_

_Odin looked into Fenrir's eyes and saw only a look of determination and seriousness showing he stood by every word. The first fist actually smirked at this, "He stands by his words I will give him that and he knows what it means to be a fighter. Who knows I may start to respect him if this keeps up." Odin turned his back to the fists._

"_Very well Fenrir, I thank you for your input. As for Valkyrie and Hermit, I will let both of you off with a warning since the mission wasn't a complete failure. However in the future I expect you to both follow orders understand?"_

_Both fists nodded and with that the meeting ended. Fenrir naturally started to head back to Hermit's house since he had a key and figured he should give Hermit some time to cool off. He approached the door when….._

"_Fenrir a moment?"_

_The Ninth fist turned to find Siegfried off all people behind him. Curious Fenrir turned to the musically inclined fighter. "Siegfried, something you need?"_

_Said composer simply shook his head before looking at Fenrir with a strange fire in his eyes that almost reminded him of Rock Lee. "Fenrir I just want to say your words were absolutely beautiful. Such passion and dedication behind them, just listening made me want to sing LALALALALALALALA!" the fifth fist suddenly broke out into song._

"_Um thanks I guess." Not entirely sure how to respond to this rather unusual individuals way of communication. Siegfried looked at Fenrir again with a rather friendly expression._

"_What I mean to say is that I see that you value friendship and loyalty over power, something rare in most. I respect that and hope that sometime you and I will have a chance to clash, just think of the music we could make." His eyes started to gleam in a way that creeped Fenrir out even more than Lee's speeches of YOUTH._

_However he chose to maintain his composure and simply held out his hand to the fifth fist. Taking the gesture the two fists shook hands as Fenrir smiled through his mask, "Sure I look forward to it."_

_(Flashback end)_

After his encounter with Siegfried, Naruto returned home at roughly 9:00 at night. Once again he found the house empty and a short note saying that Hermit had left to do some serious training somewhere.

Thus once again Naruto was alone and bored in the house. Rather than mope however the blonde former shinobi decided to make the most of the situation. Or rather would have if his stomach didn't get in the way.

Quickly checking the cabinets, and fridge only to frown, _"Hermit you son of a Bitch!"_

Both the Fridge and cabinets had been cleaned out, obviously by Hermit as food for his journey. Thus he left Naruto with nothing. The ninth fist dropped his shoulders in defeat and sighed. "Guess I am going out to eat."

(Scene Change, Restaurant district)

"_Okay, now where to eat, a lot of options maybe I should just stick with some ramen or something." _Naruto mused as he wandered around taking in the various food stands and Restaurants around him.

As he walked on he quickly came across a place that caught his eye. It was a interesting design with a red pillars in the front and a Chinese tile roof. The name of the Restaurant was posted on the front.

"_Chinese Restaurant Gekirin? Well I have been curious what Chinese food tastes like so what the hell."_ Thus he made his way into the Restaurant and found it to be as big inside as it was outside.

The inside was two stories high with simple tables and chairs laid out, along with some potted plants. Red beams and emerald green fences were found on the second floor. Naruto quickly found a table and seated himself. He didn't have to wait long.

"Welcome to Gekirin, I will be your waitress tonight." The message was sincere though the tone sounded more forced. Naruto turned to the source and one thought came to mind.

"Hello!"

Naruto's blue eyes widened as they met the visage of a girl roughly his age. She had short dark blue hair done up in some strange cat ear like braids with bells tied to them. Her eyes were a light green and slightly silted. The girls outfit really got his attention as it borderlined on appropriate. It was simple pink Chinese cheongsam with yellow outlines. The skirt however was extremely short, barely reaching her thighs, giving off a good view of her developed legs. The dress itself hugged against her body. This was made more distracting by the opening near the collar showing off some of her cleavage. Lastly she had a pair of simple purple Chinese shoes.

All in all Naruto took one look at her and his mind was pretty much shot, _"Unbelievable, Sakura can't even hold a candle to this girl, she pretty much gets beaten in every category, especially in... No No remember what Sol-sensei said about keeping a clear mind, I am not a pervert." _

Naruto was so distracted by his own mental conflict he didn't notice the girl getting more and more irritant with each second. The silence was brought to a halt with a resounding….

(SMACK!)

"Ow," Naruto was thrown out of his mind with a sharp strike to the head courtesy of the girl he had been staring at. He quickly looked up and saw she was obvious angry.

She looked at him with anger and annoyance as she spoke, "Look pal encase you haven't noticed I have other people to seat so unless you plan to order something get out of here!" The girl then placed both hands on her hips waiting for a response.

Now if Naruto had been like he used to be he would have blown his top and acted like an idiot, however his training with Sol had done more than improved his fighting skills. Thus he was able to remain composed as he lightly rubbed the spot he was struck before turning to glare at the girl though she seemed unfazed. "Was that really necessary or are you so impatient that you can't give me at least a few seconds to think before smacking me upside the head!" This only served to anger the girl who got right up in his face.

"Well maybe if you didn't take six hours to think I wouldn't have smacked you. I guess you're probably not that smart if people have to hit you to get your attention." That last part she said with a smirk, which only served to irritate Naruto more.

Once again however Naruto kept his composure and simply sighed at the girl, "Do you really think your the best person to criticize others? After all you must have shortest temper of anyone if you get this easily worked up over something so minor." The two continued to glared at each other earning the attention of several other occupants, though most were laughing rather than worrying.

The "_fighting_" would have continued until a voice rang out, "Now Renka if you want to get into an argument with your boyfriend that's fine, however try not to do it when you are on the clock."

Both eyes quickly turned to a rather old and bald Chinese man with a long grey blue beard. His outfit consisted of a simple light blue Chinese robe with an orange symbol in the front. The strange thing about him was a pair of glasses with odd spirals over both eyes.

However Naruto didn't have time to question him as the now name Renka quickly thrust her finger into Naruto's face and shouted to the high heavens, " Master Hakabi, THIS JERK IS NOT NOR EVER WILL BE MY BOYFRIEND!"

Naruto simply averted his eyes and turned his head away from the girl before sending out his own retort. "Like I would ever want such an impatient hothead as a girlfriend either."

Renka quickly turned to him and prepared to resume her shouting match only for the only for Master Hakabi to pull her back before bowing to Naruto.

"A thousand pardons for my employees rude behavior, she has a bit of a temper but is normally a very sweet girl." Renka puffed her cheeks as she pouted while Hakabi bowed.

Naruto quickly sighed and raised his arms, "It's okay no harm no foul, but if I could order some food that would be nice." Hakabi nodded and smiled before handing Naruto a menu. He quickly ordered a simple bowl of noodles and dumplings before waiting for his order to come through.

After about twenty minutes Renka appeared back with his food in tow and a sour look on her face. She approached him slowly but averted her eyes from him. "Alright look, I am sorry I called you stupid and hit you, so here is your food." The food was placed on the table and Naruto gained a short smile.

"It's no problem, to be honest I am pretty used to people calling me stupid and hitting me over the head. Also sorry about the whole calling you a hothead thing I was a little out of line.

Renka paused for a moment before getting a smile of her own. "It's okay, by the way I forgot to introduce myself properly, my name is Renka, Renka Ma. Naruto small smile grew as he spoke, "Pleasure to properly meet you Renka, You can call me Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. So I am guessing this means we can call a truce on the whole arguing thing? Renka continued to smile as she nodded.

"Sure, Tru…"

All of a sudden the doors to the restaurant were kicked in and six men walked in. Five of them were dressed in typical street clothes while the obvious leader was clad in a fancy white suit.

Naruto looked upon the group and sighed while he noticed Renka showing obvious signs of anger. "I take it you know those guys from somewhere," he asked curiously.

Renka nodded while clenching her fists, "Yeah, their members of the Chinese mafia that control the south end of the district. Recently they have been muscling in on the nearby buildings, now it looks like they want to do the same here huh. Well not if I have anything to say about it."

The blue haired girls proceeded to advance on the gangsters with a determined look in her eye. Naruto could tell just by looking at Renka she was a skilled fighter while the thugs weren't. Normally the outcome would be obvious yet Naruto kept his guard up just encase.

"Man, pretty nice place around here, pity we gotta wreck it."The leader chuckled while smoking a cigarette. However he quickly turned his attention to Renka less than ten feet away pointing her finger at him.

"Listen buddy, just for the record smoking isn't aloud in this establishment and the same goes for trash like you! So get out before I throw you out! " Her voice boomed across the room and caused all eyes to turn on her. Naruto actually chuckled at her forwardness, _"Kinda of reminds me of how I was during my years as a genin."_

Sadly the thugs weren't fazed by her tough talk and simply laughed her off. Two of the thugs actually walked over to her. One of them had a perverted look on his face as he approached, "You got some big talk for a little girl, but this is an adult matter that doesn't concern you, so back off." He finished by placing his hand on her shoulder?

That response got him a high kick to the chin sending him into the air and on one of the tables, thus sending the food off the table and on to his face. "You little Bitch!" the second thug charged her and raised his fist to punch, only for Renka to flip over him before delivering a sidekick to the back of his head. His face planted to the ground and he was out.

Renka quickly stood up and turned to face the remaining for only to pause when she saw the leader pull out a pistol.

The thug leader smirked as his cocked the gun read to fire, "You got a lot of guts to attack my men like that, too bad I'm gonna have to spill them all over the place." He pushed on the trigger.

(Swish)

(Boom)

Silence and shock appeared on everyone's faces as they watched the gun suddenly backfire. The leaders face was marred with shock and soot as he looked for the source of the backfire. The culprit was a single chopstick thrown dead center into the barrel; it had jammed the bullet just as it fired.

Not wanting to lose face he quickly searched for the direction the chopstick was thrown. Only for another one to fly forward and knock the now jammed gun out of his hands.

"You really shouldn't point that at people, especially in a public place." The thug and his men turned to the young blond boy sitting a table roughly thirty feet away, looking at them with calm eyes.

With his target in sight the gunman glared angrily at him and spoke with serious disdain, "You the one he threw those chopsticks at me?"

Naruto lightly rose to his feet and turned to fully face the group. "And if I am?"

Without thinking the thug quickly dropped down and picked up his gun before raising it to the kid. What he got instead was a bowl of soup to the face. He cringed as felt his skin burn as the hot soup made contact before the bowl shattered against his skull. The force sent him down hard on his back, some blood seeping from his head.

The other thugs jaws dropped at the sight, "BOSS!" they quickly ran to his side and tried to revive him but to no use. Thus they turned their attention to his attacker. "You're dead meat pal!" the three quickly charged.

Naruto merely waited patiently, his eyes never losing their calm expression. One thug was faster than the others and geared up to punch Naruto. He quickly punched straight out and looked to make contact, only for Naruto to lean back before raising his right knee and extending his foot to his opponent's chest and pushing forward with immense force.

"**Bencao."** Was what he called out as said thug flew over his comrades and face first onto a large platter of chicken.

The other two paused briefly before resuming their charge eager to avenge their comrade. Sadly Naruto took advantaged of their momentary loss of focus and kicked two noodle filled bowls from a nearby table at them. Unlike with their boss, there wasn't any soup inside just noodles, which flew into their faces blinding them both.

Naruto quickly leapt forward and strangely performed three cartwheels before performing a spinning kick with his right leg on the first and then spinning his left leg to hit the other thug. He then before completed his spin and landing on his feet.

Both thugs landed hard on two nearby tables as Naruto called out, **"Parafuso."**

Everyone present especially Renka were awed by what they had just witnessed. Renka couldn't even find the right words to describe what exactly she had just seen. _"I don't believe it, that guy faced down those Mafia creep like it was nothing, not to mention he stopped that guys gun with a chopstick!" _She continued to watch as Naruto approached the downed leader who was starting to regain his senses.

He slowly sat up while clutching his injured head only to look up and panic at the sight of Naruto standing over him. The thug looked for support only to find his men laid out all around him. Thus he quickly returned to looking at Naruto and trying to put on a brave face.

"Listen here punk you think you can just beat us up and get away with it, don't you know who I am, who I'm with?" He expect Naruto to panic at the thought instead Naruto simply turned to a near by table and placing his foot underneath it.

He never turned his eyes away as he raised both his leg and the table. "I don't know nor care who you are with, all I know is you're some piece of street trash that thinks he can bully whoever he wants. Well let me tell you something pal, If I so much as hear that you show your face around here again."

Naruto's leg tossed the table into the air before he performing an Armada and shattering it with a single strike, freighting the goon. "That's what will happen to you, understand!"

Anime tears were running down said thugs face as he nodded repeatedly before getting up and gathering up his goons. They quickly took off out the door leaving a trail of dust in their wake.

Naruto lightly dusted himself off before turning to the awed faces of the patrons of the Restaurant along with Renka, though Hakabi was simply smiling at the boy. It didn't take long before the people broken into applause for Naruto's actions causing him to blush in embracement.

However he quickly lost his sense thanks to an axe kick to the head curiosity of Renka for was standing behind him arms crossed. "Ow, geez Renka what the hell?" he lightly rubbed his head as he wait for the response.

A vein appeared on her head as she glared at him with concern rather than anger, "What do you think you idiot, you just charged in against a bunch of guys from the mafia, one of whom had a gun. What were you thinking?"

Naruto simply shrugged, "I saw you were in danger and knew I couldn't sit by and let you get hurt." Renka actually blushed lightly at his words before punching him upside the head in mock angry.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I NEED YOUR HELP? I AM FINE ON MY OWN, YOU BETTER NOT THINK I'M ONE OF THOSE WEAK GIRLS WHO NEEDS A GUY TO BAIL THEM OUT ALL THE TIME!" Hakabi watch in amusement as the two teens continued.

However after he took a quick look around at the Restaurant he quickly clear his throat getting the others attention. "While I find your little interaction amusing, I do have a question for you Mr. um?"

Naruto quickly turned, "Sorry Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, so what's up?" Hakabi simply pointed behind Naruto who looked around. His jaw practically hit the floor.

The Restaurant was in one word a disaster. Food was all over the place, on the floor, and walls, even in the plants. Several bowls were shattered along with the tables and chairs. Needless to say it wasn't a pretty sight.

Yet despite the damage Hakabi didn't seem furious, "Well as you can see Naruto while you chased away those mafia members, your fight caused a great amount of damage and I am wondering how you intend to pay for it?"

Naruto body became rigid as he slowly turned to Hakabi with his mouth still agape and sweat dripping down his back. "Um just out of curiosity how much do you think this will cost?"

Hakabi quickly snapped his fingers and another employee with a pad and paper appeared. He then handed the paper to Naruto who took one look at it and his eyes became the size dinner plates while his jaw hit the floor.

"_Shit, What the heck am I gonna do." _

"_**Why not use the money your master gave you?" **_a familiar and omonious voice echoed in his mind.

"_Kyubi, was wondering when you would show up and you know Sol-sensei gave me that money for emergencies only."_

"_**And what exactly does this qualify as. Look at that amount, how else are you going to pay that?" **_

Before Naruto could continue Hakabi shook him out of his daze. "Well Naruto, if you don't have the money then I guess you will just have to work here till you pay it off." His eyes gained an odd gleam as he spoke those words, Renka also seemed slightly happy at the prospect.

Naruto paused for a minute, _"Work here? Well maybe considering I don't have much else to do and it would get me out of the house." _Naruto turned to Hakabi and raised his hand.

"Sure why not, it could be a lot of fun." He finished with a smirk on his face, as did Hakabi and Renka, though Hakabi's seemed more like a victory smile. "That's wonderful, now why don't you start by helping Renka clean up this mess."

Naruto looked a little upset at the idea but saw now point in arguing and started working with Renka to clean up the disaster area.

Hakabi turned and slowly made his way back to his office, as he made his way the employee who gave Naruto the bill approach him with a curious look. "Um master Hakabi not to question you but why did you have me write the bill total so high. Surely it couldn't cost THAT much money."

Hakabi started to chuckle at the question before looking over at Renka and Naruto who were busy cleaning, watching Renka yell at Naruto for causing so much damage. Yet he could see she wasn't so much angry as she was happy, something she hadn't been in quite a while.

He continued to chuckle as he watched the two, "Lets just say I have a feeling that boy could be good for this place." He turned his back to the others and walked away, leaving the two teens alone.

**-Ninth Fist End-**

_Okay now I know what you are thinking, however I had this idea for the two for a while and needed to go with it. Plus Renka seems the best choice for the paring but I hope this won't deter you from reading and reviewing. You can still vote though I am pretty sure who the winner will be so sorry. __**However if you aren't satisfied you can always try your hand at writing your own HSD x Naruto Crossover, just keep that in mind.**_

_FAQ-Frequently asked questions (need to take care of this now)_

_**Naruto warming up to Ragnarock too quickly.**__ Naruto is not necessarily friends with them more that he understands loyalty and will help them if necessary. It's not that he trusts them whole-heartedly but more that he can't just abandon his teammates if they need him. _

_**Ragnarock Liking Naruto too quickly. **__Once again they don't really like he so much that they slightly respect him both for his skills and his loyalty. They aren't used to having those kinds of characteristics in a member and it's having an effect on them. Just want to point that out_

_**Moves List**_

_**Bencao- **__a very typical Capoeira kick where one lifts their leg and extend it outward then push against their enemy with their foot. The key is to lean back and extend your hips to push you enemy back instead of simply kicking them._

_**Parafuso- **__a supplementary technique for the Armada kick, once you kick your opponent with the Armarda you leap up and rotate your other leg to strike you opponent. You then finish the spin completely rotating your body before landing on your feet. _

_I would have more but can't think of any questions at this point however like before I have another omake before I sign off, so please enjoy._

_**-Special Omake-**_

Title: Catastrophe

Naruto had just returned from Freya's home after his little "encounter" with Freya the previous night. Needless to say it was very awkward for him and decided to move out.

Loki was there waitng from him laughing lightly at his comrade's misfortune, "What's the matter Fenrir, didn't enjoy that little midnight surprise you got."

Fenrir glared at the fourth fists humor and simply said, "Bite me."

Loki laughed again, "Sorry about that Fenrir, didn't think that was important info. Anyway I have good news, Valkyrie finally swallowed her pride and agreed to take you, of course you have to move out the second something else opens up."

Naruto however wasn't convinced, "Anything special I should know about her?"

Loki simply smirked, "Nothing too extreme with her just she has was some would consider an unhealthy addiction to cats, otherwise she's totally normal."

Naruto was slightly edgy to accept, _"What the hell, what's the worse that could happen?"_

(Valkyrie's apartment)

"All right you sleep on the couch so put your crap there and stay away from my room got it?" Valkyrie watched as Fenrir nodded before pulling his hood down and taking his face mask off."

At that point Valkyrie froze as she stared at the marks on his cheeks. At that point Naruto felt an uneasy feeling inside.

"Kitty!" Naruto quickly turned to find Valkyrie slowly edging towards him with a maniacal grin on her face.

"_Me and my big Mouth."_

(Three Days later)

Loki showed up at Valkyrie's apartment seening at how neither she nor Fenrir had been seen for the last three days.

"Wonder what the heck those two are up to." He then knocked on the door only to find it was open slightly.

He quickly walked in and entered the living room only to laugh his head off at the sight before him.

The fierce Fenrir, named after the monster wolf of Ragnarock was currently in a pink kitty t-shirt and boxers, with pink cat ears on his head and plush paws with Valkyrie currently cuddling against him like if he were a normal cat.

Needless to say it was a massive blow to Fenrir ego and he could only glare hatefully at Loki, "Don't Say a single Word."

**-Omake end-**

Well hope this is funny for everyone, wanted to really capture the insane cat obession Kisara had and those whiskers along with some help from some of my reviewers really helped with that. So thanks to them for the help.

Also once again I hope you guys will keep reading regardless of who wins the poll just saying I don't want you to stop reading just cause of that. Anyway I already have the next chapter planned out so expect it to come real soon. Till then Agurra out.


	6. Chapter 6

The Ninth Fist chapter 6

Yo everyone Agurra of the Darkness here with the newest Chapter of The Ninth fist. First off I would like to thank everyone for voting for the pairing it was close however in the end the Winner was… **Renka Ma.** So for those who voted for Kisara or Freya sorry however if you want those pairings once again you can write your own version. Anyway now that the poll is closed I hope you will still read and review despite the turnout.

Then again that will probably be true for many of you with how I intend to end this chapter. Keep in mind the next chapter may take some time so I hope you will be patient, though I still intend to update Oracion Eight in the future. However more on that later.

-Disclaimer- Agurra of the Darkness doesn't own Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple or Naruto,

**-Ninth Fist Start-**

(1 week later)

It was a normal and peaceful day outside of the Chinese restaurant Gekirin, people were walking by taking note of the beautiful buildings design. All was right with the world, until.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH... (Crash)!

That gained the attention of every bystander within listening distance to turn their attention to the restaurant just in time to see a man fly out the left window of the restaurant.

However the people barely had time to think about what they had seen when three more men flew out the doorway. Now outside the bystanders got a good look to see each man was covered in bruises and bleeding. Strangely the injures didn't come from they little "flights."

"AND STAY OUT!" They quickly turned their attention to the voice to find a young sixteen-year-old blonde with blue eyes and whisker marks standing in the doorway. He wore a simple white T-shirt, blue jeans, black and blue sneakers and a white apron.

They watched as the boy glared at the fallen men with great anger as they cowered at his feet. He then spoke with a chilling voice, "Get out of here!" the men got the message and got up before running like the wind.

Once they were out of sight the boy let out a sigh before scratching his head in annoyance. He quickly took note of the many eyes staring at him and the spectacle. "Um sorry you had to see that folks, just go on and pretend it didn't happen okay."

Needless to say no one knew how to respond to what they just saw, thus it wasn't any easier to explain when a young blue haired Chinese girl popped up behind the boy and punching him in the back of the head.

"Damn it Naruto, can't you go one hour without breaking something?" The girl huffed at the blonde who was holding his head in pain before he turned to her. "Sorry Renka but what was I supposed to do let them wreck the place?"

That response earned him a punch right in the face while Renka had steam coming out of her ears. Naruto looked at her sourly before she pointed to the restaurant in frustration, "WRECK THE PLACE? LOOK AT IT, YOU'RE THE ONE DOING THE WRECKING AROUND HERE!"

Sadly it was true if one looked through the broken window and smashed in doors they would find what would be considered a war zone. Tables and chairs shattered, food flung in all directions, plates and silverware bent, broken and the like. It wasn't pretty.

Naruto could only huff at the accusation and turned his head, "At least I chased those Mafia guys away, so I broke a few things at least they're gone right."

Renka's face turned red at his rather blunt answer and was prepared to go supernova on him, but managed to calm herself. Truth was she had to agree with him to some extent.

It had been a week since Naruto had started working at Gekirin and it had been rather, interesting to say the least. Due to his limited cooking experience he spent most of his time washing and collecting dishes and plates. He got the job done quickly enough however it seemed like his real job was acting as Gekirin's bouncer.

Since the incident with the mafia, more goons from other gangs had been coming to the restaurant to get revenge. Sadly they were met with the same result and like before the restaurant was destroyed as well. Thus while Naruto's bill continued to grow, the areas crime rate shrunk.

Despite his destructive shortcomings Naruto was still a good worker and Renka enjoyed having him around, though his cool and somewhat reserved attitude bugged her at times. She wanted to learn more about him but it was like he was a human safe, wouldn't let anyone in. Regardless she had learned to live with his destructive tendencies, even if she had to clean up the messes afterwards.

Seeing as how she couldn't win the argument she simply sighed at Naruto, "Fine but next time can you at least try to keep damage to a minimum?" Naruto turned back to her with a small smirk. "I'll try, but no promises."

That perked Renka up as the two reentered the restaurant and began cleaning again.

"Geez Naruto, you think next time you can avoid breaking all the tables in the place?" Naruto turned to face a young man roughly twenty in a waiter's uniform with shoulder length black hair and sunglasses. His name was Ryu Genson, a disciple of Hakubi who worked as a waiter at the restaurant.

"Or at the very least not spread my food all over the place." Naruto's eyes then turned to a young eighteen-year-old boy with short brown hair, glasses in a chefs outfit. He was Hakubi's second disciple Shokatsu, the restaurants cook.

Hakubi introduced Naruto to them though they were a bit skeptical about Naruto's skills and his ability to work in the restaurant. However after some time the three became relatively good friends. That didn't mean they enjoyed his constant destruction.

Shokatsu looked down at his foot that was currently sitting in a ruined platter of sautéed broccoli and rice. "Unbelievable, what a waste of good food. Naruto I swear if you keep pulling this crap I am going make you eat the food off the floor!" He glared at Naruto as he spoke.

One thing Naruto learned about Shokatsu was that due to his profession, he took his cooking very seriously and thus hated to see his food wasted. So every time Naruto fought he ended up getting an earful from him.

The blond turned to his angry friend, "Sorry Shokatsu, however I would like to point out that it was the mafia guy who threw that platter not me." It took all of Shokatsu's will power to not strangle Naruto for his blunt comment.

He simply turned his back while clutching his fists, "I don't care who threw it just keep the fighting to a minimal." With that he returned to the kitchen. Naruto simply shook his head.

Ryu actually chuckled at little, unlike Shokatsu Ryu enjoyed the chaos that came with Naruto. He felt it livened things up a bit and got a good laugh every now and again, thus was more lenient with Naruto.

"Don't let him get to you Naruto, I am glad you've been smacking those goons around. Thanks to you most of the gangs are too scared to come anywhere near here. Though I have to agree you need to lay off the destruction." Naruto twitched slightly at the accusation but kept cool.

"All right, All right, seesh I will stop, can we please change the subject to something else?" Renka and Ryu nodded because they got their point across. However they quickly took note of Master Hakubi who was approaching them.

Once he was in front of them he cleared his throat, "Attention everyone, we will be expecting some special guests soon so I expect you all to be on your best behavior." Renka and Ryu nodded without question though Naruto was a little annoyed at the behavior part.

Hakubi turned to Naruto, "Can I count on you Naruto?" Naruto's twitch grew some more but he simply nodded.

With that Hakubi gained a smile and went back to his office. Naruto resumed his job cleaning up the plates and food he chucked all over the place while musing over Hakubi's words.

"_Special Guests? Wonder who they could be?"_

(Few hours later)

"_You have got to be F%^&king with me?" _those were the thoughts that entered the blonde ninjas head when he saw who Hakubi's special guests were.

To Naruto's immense surprise it was none other than Kenichi Shirahama and his Chinese Kempo master. They arrived and where seated with a large spread of food, which the dimwitted disciple was helping himself to while his master talked to Hakubi.

Naruto however was too busy with his thoughts to pay attention to their conversation, _"That guy is like a bad cold you can't get rid of, Damn it, I can't even attack him, not with his Master around, what are they doing here anyway?"_

Seeing it as his best chance he decided to pour some tea for Hakubi and Kensei before bringing it to them. He managed to get close enough to make out the name, "Sougetsu Ma."

Naruto paused slightly, "_Sougetsu Ma, Where have I heard the name before." _Sadly he didn't have time to think the matter over as Kensei and Hakubi turned their attention to him. Naruto shivered slightly at their gaze but kept his cool.

"Sorry for the interruption, thought you two could use a little tea if that's alright?" Kensei stared at him for a moment before smiling, "Thank you young man that would be great." He graciously took the cup from Naruto before he handed the other to Hakubi.

Naruto took the time to observe Kensei and could tell he was tense about something; obviously whatever they were talking about had some kind of significance. Unfortunately he didn't have time to think about it as his senses kicked in enough to see Renka drop down from the balcony above onto the table.

Kensei, Hakubi and Naruto jumped away avoiding the flying food while Kenichi sat shell-shocked. Kensei quickly gained a somewhat cocky look on his face as he turned to Renka whose face he couldn't see. "Sorry my dear but I have years of experience dodging several similar attempts on my life." His tone was quickly lost when she faced him.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH." That got some question marks from Naruto and Kenichi who was asking as well. Renka decided to unintentionally fill in the blanks.

"We finally see each other after all this time and that's all you have to say, that's really nice daddy." That one word shocked Naruto whose mouth should have been agape but managed to keep it in mind _"Daddy, The Master of my enemy is the father of one of my friends, What is this some cheap manga?"_

Kenichi however had a different perception of the situation. "Daddy? You mean like sugar daddy?" Naruto's head jerked over to Kenichi so fast you could hear it snap. _"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?"_

Thankfully Kensei quickly cleared up the misunderstanding though Kenichi was still shocked at the daughter revelation. At that point Naruto figured it was best to change topics.

"Seriously Renka, you're always giving me grieve for breaking stuff and look what you did and right in front of Hakubi no less!" Renka quickly snapped out of her "dad hunting mode" to see Naruto was right that she had smashed the table and sent food everywhere. Her face turned red with embarrassment.

Trying to keep her composure she turned to Hakubi and bowed, "Sorry about that master Hakubi." The cheerful master simply waved it of though inwardly he was grinning while Kensei was looking somewhat shocked.

"_Renka usually never loses her focus when chasing after me. Is it because of that boy? I wonder… Lets test it out!" _Kensei quickly turned to Renka, "I am sorry Renka but I am not ready to go back to China." He then turned to jump away only to see her pull out a long bolo rope.

Renka spun the rope with great speed eager to capture her father, "You aren't going anywhere Daddy!" She flung the rope right at him and it looked to make contact, however.

(Pull)

(Snag)

(Fall)

Renka landed hard on her face with the rope wrapped around her though she could feel something hard underneath her body. Before she had a chance to look she could feel a strange heat near her backside.

"Um Renka, Could you move PLEASE!" Renka's face turned red at the realization that she was currently hog tied to Naruto with his face near her rear. Apparently just as the rope was about to make contact Kensei quickly pulled Naruto in the way before jumping away. Thus resulting in the pairs current predicament.

Renka quickly started to panic, "Um uh, Sorry Naruto just give me a second." She stuttered slightly as she started to remove the rope.

Naruto slowly nodded trying not to move, his face cherry red. Granted Naruto had been trained fight and deal with his anger, however situations like this, Sol never got around too.

Hakubi and Kensei both watched the scene with very amused looks on their faces. Kensei turned to Hakubi, "He certainly an interesting one, normally Renka would have just yelled or punched anyone else. Who is he?"

Hakubi however didn't avert his eyes and simply spoke while watching, "His name is Naruto, he is a new temporary employee who not to long ago saved Renka's life from a group of Mafia men. I saw he had some kind of effect on her and decided to keep him around." Kensei nodded as he turned back chuckling slightly as he watched the two now untied teens apologizing to each other though Naruto eyes were averted.

Kensei's face quickly hardened as he turned back to Hakubi, "Not that I don't find this situation enjoyable to watch but I believe we have more pressing matters to discuss." Hakubi turned with a serious face and nodded as well.

Once Renka and Naruto had untied themselves and finished apologizing they turned back to Kensei and Hakubi only to find Kensei was missing. Naturally Renka quickly became angry as she rushed over to Hakubi.

"Master Hakubi, where did my Dad go and why did you let him get away?" Hakubi could only sigh at her before putting his hand on her shoulder. "Listen Renka your father went to confront Sogetsu and I think it's best you don't go after him."

Sadly Renka was already heading out the door gearing up to chase after her father with Kenichi following having been left out from the beginning. Hakubi merely shook his head, "That girl is just like her father, stubborn like an ox." He then turned to Naruto.

"Naruto I know I shouldn't ask this of you but, can you please go follow Renka. I have a feeling she may be in over her head." Naruto turned to the doorway his back to Hakubi.

"Don't apologize, I would have gone after her even if you didn't ask. Renka may be hotheaded and stubborn, but she is still my friend and I would sooner kill myself then abandon her." He then proceeded to walk out the door.

Hakubi could only smile at the boys words, "That boy, is certainly something else."

(Scene Change Outside the Restaurant)

Renka's eyes darted through the crowd as she attempted to find her father, though she wasn't having much luck. However before she could continue her search she found the boy who had been with her master tailing her.

She sighed as she turned to him with a frustrated look on her face, "Any particular reason you're following me? For that matter who in the world are you anyway?" The boy quickly straightened himself out as he spoke.

"Sorry, my name is Kenichi Shirahama. I'm a sophomore in High school and your masters number one disciple." Though his words didn't contain a hint of deception Renka wasn't convinced. So she decided to test him by smashing her fist into his stomach.

The poor boy quickly kneeled over in pain while Renka could only look on in disappointment. _"This wimp is my dad's Number one disciple. Has he really fallen that far?" _As Renka mused over her father's shortcomings she failed to notice a presence behind her.

"Do you have to hit every guy you meet?" Renka's eyes widened at the voice before turning to find Naruto standing behind her.

Renka was slightly shocked to find Naruto behind her but was somewhat happy, "Naruto what are you doing here?" Naruto simply shrugged, "Hakubi said I should keep an eye on you encase you get into trouble, course I was planning to anyway."

Renka could actually feel herself smiling knowing that Naruto would be very helpful in finding her father. However before either could continue Kenichi managed to steady himself, having recovered from Renka's punch.

Naruto's eyes narrowed at Kenichi wishing the fallen disciple would leave. Unfortunately that didn't seem to be the case, "Well that hurt a little but I'm alright, though next time warn me when you're gonna do something like that." Renka and Naruto could only stare at him.

"_Is he serious?" _the pair thought simultaneously. They both sighed and proceed to walk in the direction Renka assumed her father had gone, Kenichi continued to follow. As they walked Renka and Naruto grew more irritant at their pursuer.

Eventually Renka couldn't hold it in and turned to Kenichi. "Listen pal, why don't you just go back home, I don't know what connection you have to my father but this is a family matter that doesn't concern you." Kenichi could only shake his head.

"Sorry but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I just let a girl walk off to do something dangerous." That got Renka and Naruto angry however before Renka could respond Naruto moved forward.

"Listen, Kenichi was it? Despite what you may think Renka is a very skilled and capable fighter who can easily handle any Mafia goon. More importantly someone like you with half-assed beliefs like that, would only get in the way." Kenichi deflated slightly at the insult.

Renka nodded and chose to add her point, "Plus I have Naruto here and he is a real fighter. He's already faced down the mafia and isn't afraid to fight them head on. You on the other hand couldn't even block a simple punch."

Kenichi quickly deflated to the point where he had a dark cloud hanging over his head. He sobbed slightly at the insults of his skills. The deflated disciple prepared to leave but then remembered something.

He turned to face the too with new determination present on his face. "Look I am sorry you guys think I will get in the way. However I can't just sit by and do nothing, I choose to learn martial arts so I wouldn't run away and that's what I am going to do." His response merited different reactions.

Renka looked at him with a hint of respect though it was well hidden, however Naruto felt a deep sense of anger at his words. _"He started Martial arts so he wouldn't run from fights? WHAT THE HELL DOES HE THINK HE'S BEEN DOING?" _Naruto's patience with him was wearing thin as they continued to move.

He slowly began to calm his anger as he listened to Kenichi. "Say Renka I'm curious about something, why are you so determined to take your dad back to China with you?" That got Naruto's attention since he was also rather curious, as Renka seemed to mention dragging her father back home but never why.

Renka frowned at the question as they walk, "The reason is simple, my father is the leader of the Phoenix Martial Arts sect of China. He has over ten thousand disciples under his command." Both Naruto and Kenichi were shell-shocked.

"_Ten Thousand Disciples." _They both thought simultaneously. Naruto quickly shook his shock off and turned to Renka, "If your dad has so many followers then what the heck is he doing here in Japan?" Renka gained a somewhat downcast look on her face.

"I don't why but one day, Dad just packed up his stuff and left for Japan. If that weren't bad enough he left the responsibility of his disciples to my mom." Kenichi didn't look too surprised while Naruto looked somewhat disgusted.

"Let me see if I have this right, Your dad for no reason at all leaves home and his _Ten Thousand _disciples, then to add insult to injury dumps the responsibility on his wife. No Offense Renka but your Dad is a bit of an asshole." Oddly enough both Renka and Kenichi seemed to agree with him.

Renka paused briefly before she chuckled darkly and gained a sinister grin that made Kenichi cringe and Naruto sweat slightly, "That's why I came here to Japan. Mama wants to give daddy a serious piece of her mind, but she's too busy to chase him down." She continued to chuckle as they walked.

Kenichi was sweating nervously as he looked on, _"She reminds me of my mom the time dad got her a shotgun as an anniversary present. He really shouldn't have given her the shells that came with it!" _He shivered at the memory.

Naruto on the other hand had a blank look on his face as he looked at Renka from behind, _"Mental note: don't piss off Renka's mom."_

The trio continued onwards until finally they were outside of a four story office like building. On the way Renka informed them of the situation. Apparently Sougetsu Ma was the name of Renka's uncle who had a strained relationship with her father. After getting kicked out of China for murder he ended up working for the Mafia but was planning on "Terminating" his contract.

Kensei went in to keep his brother from ripping the place apart and Renka, well she planned to stop Sougetsu herself. Naruto of course knew she was in over her head but wasn't about to stop her. This was just one of those lessons you need to learn the hard way. Didn't mean he wouldn't try to help.

Once the three were at the door Renka didn't waste any time before kicking it down, thus gaining the attention of the roughly twenty guards in the immediate area.

"_So much for stealth."_

Each of the goons reached for their weapons and started to advance. One member in a red shirt and jeans with a short mustache started to approach them with his knife drawn. "Well, well look at this guys, a couple of cocky kids who went and got themselves lost. Looks like we need t…" He lost his voice before breaking out in a cold sweat and shaking all over.

Almost immediately he dropped his knife before pointing at Naruto. "I know you you're that guy from Gekirin." Several of the other guards took a better look at Naruto and all started having similar reactions. Most of them dropped their weapons and ran for it.

However a few braver guys weren't ready to run and instead charged the group head on. Naruto however simply stood aside and let Renka go on. She turned to him only to receive a nod of assurance. With a smile and battle cry Renka charged at the mafia men with vigor.

Kenichi simply stood there with Naruto, watching Renka dispense with the guards. Naruto turned to Kenichi and saw the look of sadness on his face, he could only sigh at the disciple's naivety.

"See what I told you, Renka is more than a capable fighter. She doesn't need your protection." Kenichi turned to him obviously caught off guard by his comment before adopting a sad look. "Sorry it's just I feel like we shouldn't be fighting these guys, it's too dangerous…" Naruto however turned to him with a cold look in his eyes.

"Don't start, what exactly did you think was going to happen when you chose to become a martial artist. Did you think you would just be protecting yourself from high school bullies and street punks?" Kenichi didn't know how to respond, the look in Naruto's eyes paralyzed him. However it wasn't fear he felt, but something else, a feeling he couldn't explain. He could only sit and listen.

Naruto slowly turned his attention to Renka, "The world of Martial arts is a very dangerous place. Often times you will find yourself thrown into life or death situations where even a second of hesitation can result in death!" Kenichi could only stare as he too watched Renka but kept his ears open.

"In situations like that you can either run or stand and fight. It doesn't matter how strong or tough you become, if you lack the resolve to fight when the situation demands it then you lose the right to call yourself a Martial Artist." Naruto finished with the utmost seriousness, his word reminded Kenichi of his masters during their more serious moments.

They watched in silence for a moment as Renka laid out the last man before turning to them with a smile before waving them over. Naruto nodded and started to walk before pausing and turning to Kenichi, "Unless you are prepared to fight for your life, go home!" He turned and proceeded to walk forward.

Kenichi could only stand there his mind musing over the words Naruto had spoken. _"Have I really been fooling myself into thinking I knew what it meant to be a Martial Artist? Do I even have the resolve to fight?"_

The young disciple continued to muse over those words till he remembered something the Sakai had said to him. _"When your afraid, just train! When something doesn't feel right just train! When you don't believe in yourself anymore, just train! The only thing that won't betray you is your training."_

Kenichi thought those words over before gaining a serious look and walking forward towards the elevator where Naruto and Renka were waiting for him. He slowly entered and watched as the doors closed. He turned to Naruto, "_Maybe I don't know what it truly means to be Martial Artist and maybe I am scared. However I started down this path so I would stop running away and that's what I am going to do!"_

Naruto's eyes darted to Kenichi's face and were mildly surprised to see his determined look. "_Guess my words might have helped him find his resolve, though odds are he still won't fight?" _He quickly shook himself from his thoughts as the door opened and they continue to walk out.

It was quiet, eerily so. Naruto's senses were on high alert as he scanned the halls. _"Something isn't right, if Sougetsu is here then we should be hearing the sounds of fighting going on or something?" _They continued down a few more feet when Naruto paused. Renka and Kenichi moved two more steps before turning.

Renka had a concerned look on her face as she spoke, "Naruto, whats the matt…?" That's all she was able to get out before she and Kenichi were violently shoved backwards by Naruto. Meer moments later the wall beside them exploded.

Her eyes widened greatly, she and Kenichi had escaped the blast, Naruto however took the full force of it. Her mind slowed to a crawl as she watched her blonde haired friend rocket to the opposite wall and crash against it. She cringed at the sound and watched in horror as the wall cracked under the impact.

All was then still and silent as she watched him slide down the wall then he was motionless. The only movement she could see from him was a trickle of blood going down his head. She stood there shocked for a moment unable to speak.

Kenichi also found himself shocked at what had transpired. He turned to the smoking hole, then to Naruto who now lay still. Renka however quickly found her voice with tears leaking from her eyes as she ran forward.

"NARUTOOOOOOOOOO!" She quickly rushed to his side trying to shake him awake. All the while tears trailed down her face. "Naruto, you idiot why did you do that? Why did you push me out of the way, I didn't ask you to save me again?" Her words remained unanswered.

However her focus quickly changed as she could hear footsteps emanating from the newly made hole. In a matter of seconds a massive shadow could be seen through the dust. Renka tensed herself up feeling her anger rise at the sight before her.

Kenichi quickly turned to the hole as the dust cleared and he could make out the figure. He could slowly feel his courage leave him at the figure. He was a mountain of a man easily seven feet tall, with thick strong muscles. He wore a simple sleeveless open vest and dark brown pants and shoes. On his arms were nothing but two arm bands wrapped around his wrists. As for his face it was square shaped with a thick but short beard that covered the lower half of his face. The top of his head was covered with short shaggy brown hair. Lastly he had a belt with what appeared to be a saki bottle tied to it.

The giant man slowly looked at the area surrounding him before his piercing brown eyes fell on the group before him. He could only sigh before turning his attention to a large muscular bald man laid out not far away. "That guy was their strongest fighter. How boring, was hoping for a decent fight." He slowly reached for his saki bottle, but stopped when he felt a trace of KI.

He slowly raised his eyes to Renka who had let go of Naruto and stood up, her eyes shadowed but her body shaking. "Sougetsu Ma." She spoke gaining Kenichi's and Sougetsu's attention as she slowly raised her head revealing her piercing green eyes, glaring at Sougetsu with absolute hate.

Kenichi was shaking and sweating, _"Is that really Renka?" _Sougetsu on the other hand wasn't even fazed. He merely looked at the girl as she spoke with words laced with venom. "Sougetsu Ma, for too long you have shamed the name of the Ma family, and now you harmed one of my friends." Her face turned feral as she charged forward.

"I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!" her last words with spoken with great fury as she charged before unleashing a vicious roundhouse kick to Sougetsu's head. Sadly the fierce Kempo master blocked the attack with ease before grabbing Renka by the leg and slamming her against the wall.

Renka coughed violently as her body smashed against the hard stonewall. Her consciousness fading, she was barely able to notice her uncle wrap his fingers around her torso before lifting her to eye level. _"Hakubi was right, I shouldn't have gone after Sougetsu and Naruto had to suffer for it. I'm such an idiot."_

She slowly drifted into unconsciousness unable to make out neither Kenichi nor Sougetsu's words, instead her eyes turned to Naruto still laid against the wall. With great difficulty she muttered out before her eyes closed, "Sorry I dragged you into this Naruto."

Sougetsu stared at the now unconscious Renka for a moment before gearing to finish her off. Kenichi quickly regained his senses and called out to Sougetsu, "Please wait, she's your Niece you can't kill your own family can you?"

Sougetsu merely turned to Kenichi with a cold look, "Family or friend it doesn't matter, I'll kill anyone who gets in my way." As he spoke those words he tightened his grip on Renka who cringed in pain in his grasp. Sougetsu continued to increase the pressure, only to be stopped.

"_What is this feeling?"_ He turned and looked, sensing an aura of anger and death emanating somewhere. He suddenly stopped when he heard a voice that sent a shiver up his spine.

"**Put Her Down!" **Sougetsu's eyes darted to Naruto who was now standing, however his once calm blue eyes now held a piercing look of hatred and rage. For an instant Sougetsu actually felt afraid.

He prepared to take a fighting stance, only to blink and see that Naruto was gone. _"Where'd he go?" _The kempo master quickly looked down just to see Naruto drop to his hands and perform a powerful spin kick that smashed against his arm. The force behind the kick was incredible and caused Sougetsu to lose his grip. Before he could even react Naruto jumped in front of Sougetsu before raising both legs up and kicking forward.

The impact of the kick sent Sougetsu flying down the hallway till he crashed into the ending. Naruto quickly landed on his feet just in time to catch Renka before she hit the ground.

Renka slowly opened her eyes feeling a warm sensation around her. She looked up to find herself in the arms of Naruto who was looking down the hall with a serious face. Renka blushed at being in his embrace but more she looked at his face, it showed signs of anger and rage but something else.

"You alright Renka?"

Her eyes widened as Naruto turned to her with a sad frown on his face. Though she could also see relief, he was happy she was okay. Renka could only nod, "Thanks Naruto, and sorry I got you caught up in all this."

Naruto however only shook his head, "Don't apologize, I would have gotten involved whether you liked it or not, You are my friend and I always protect my friends no matter what." He looked defiant as he spoke those words and Renka's blush increased tenfold.

However Naruto quickly adopted a more serious look Renka's eyes quickly darted to the end of the hallway to find Sougetsu still standing, hardly a scratch on him.

The giant slowly dusted himself off as he advanced on the three directing his attention to Naruto who slowly geared up to fight. "Got to say kid, you're not half bad but you're still out of your league."

Naruto glared at Sougetsu before turning to Kenichi, "Kenichi!" the shocked disciple turned to Naruto, "Protect Renka, I'll take care of Sougetsu." Renka and Kenichi's eyes widened at his declaration but they could only watch as Naruto slowly approached Sougetsu.

The two advanced till they were roughly six feet apart from each other. The air was thick with tension as all eyes waited. In the blink of an eye it began.

_(Insert Sevendust "Enemy", this song kicks ass)_

Naruto reacted quickly he dropped to his hands and spun towards Sougetsu lashing his right leg towards him while using his left to balance. Sougetsu simply stepped back to avoid the kick, only for Naruto to spin completely before rising up to his feet and using the momentum to unleash a second spin kick again with his left leg.

This time Sougetsu blocked the kick with his right arm. Naruto thinking quickly leapt up and rotated his right leg to administer another kick. Once again Sougetsu dodged, but Naruto used the momentum to spin completely before leaning backwards.

He quickly landed on the back of his hands, as he flipped he lifted both legs up and like a whip smashed both of his feet into Sougetsu's jaw before flipping completely backwards and landing on his feet.

Sougetsu was dazed from the hit but managed to bring his head back down only to lean it and his body back to narrowly avoid the ball of Naruto's left foot which had been swung up to most likely administer a finisher. Naruto looked at Sougetsu as he whispered **"Ponteira."**

The kempo masters eyes widened at the name causing him to lose his focus. Thus he was unable to retaliate when Naruto pulled his left leg back before putting his foot on Sougetsu's stomach and then pushing forward with immense force. **"Bencano"**

All eyes watched in shock as the massive Ma once again flew down the hallway before crashing into the ending wall. Renka simply looked in shock at what she had witnessed unable to believe it. _"Incredible, I knew Naruto was strong, but he's actually holding his own against Uncle Sougetsu." _Kenichi on the other hand couldn't find the right words for the situation.

"_So this is what Naruto meant by having resolve. He's fighting against a master and a murderer at that, yet he isn't even flinching. It's almost like I am watching one of the masters of Ryozanpaku." _They continued to watch as Naruto stared down the hallway ready to continue.

"**Kit You need to stop NOW!" **Naruto's eyes widened at the sound in his head. _"Kyuubi, what do you mean stop, what's the problem?"_ He was surprised at the urgency of the fox's voice.

"**Listen Kit, right now you are experiencing the rage boost I mentioned previous, that's the main reason you're doing so well." **Naruto blinked before remembering the Kyuubi's words.

"_Okay so what's the problem, I know fighting against a master isn't smart but I had to do something!" _Kyuubi however didn't let up. **"You fool, this boost only works for a set amount of time. It's not like when you used my chakra and could go all out for hours, this won't last long."**

Naruto prepared to continue the conversation when he sensed something that made his blood run cold. He quickly turned to find Sougetsu right in front of him, barely a scratch on his body. Naruto could only stare at him, _"I don't believe it, all those kicks and he doesn't even look winded. Is the gap between my power and a masters really this BIG?"_

Sougetsu looked down a Naruto with a curious look, "I have to admit kid you're pretty good, defiantly better than the last guy." His face then turned serious, "Unfortunately you're not good enough. " Naruto couldn't move fast enough to block as Sougetsu leaned forward before rocketing both of his arms out.

"**DOUBLE PALM!" **Sougetsu's palms smashed into Naruto's ribcage. Naruto could literally feel the oxygen fly out of his body as his ribs gave way before his body rocketed to the wall behind him. The instant he hit the wall it gave way under the pressure and collapsed sending Naruto into the next room.

Renka and Kenichi were horrified at the site. Sougetsu once again laid out Naruto, this time however they both knew he wasn't going to be getting up so easily. They didn't have time to contemplate what happened as Sougetsu turned his attention to the pair.

With a sigh he made his way towards them eager to finish them off. "Where do you think you're going?" His eyes quickly widened as he turned his attention to the sound of shifting rubble.

There stood Naruto, blood was now running down his forehead to his right eye and blood dribbling down his lip. His clothes were covered in dust and bloodstains, and his showed signs of collapsing. His face however, held a look of defiance and determination, it showed he wasn't going to give up.

Sougetsu looked shocked for a moment before he actually broke out into a small smile. "Heh, man kid you have got a lot of guts and determination to still want to fight me the way you are. You're defiantly okay in my book, pity this has to end."

Sougetsu again geared to continue when he sensed a new presence that diverted his attention to the windows. In a flash of movement some sort of green object smashed through the windows and appeared in front of Kenichi and Renka.

"It's been a long time Sougetsu." His eyes narrowed as the smoke cleared to reveal his younger brother Kensei Ma.

Renka and Kenichi both looked shocked and relieved at his appearance. "Dad, you're hear." Kensei turned his head slightly to acknowledge her, "Yes, Renka, sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

Kensei then turned his attention to the still barely standing Naruto before adopting a sincere look, "Naruto was it, I saw what you did. Thank you for protecting both my daughter and disciple. Now however this is my fight understand." Naruto managed out a weak nod before falling to his knees and coughing up blood.

Renka gained a worried look, "Naruto!" With great speed Kensei appeared before Naruto before grabbing him and bringing him to Renka and Kenichi. Kensei took the time to look him over before turning to Renka. "It's not too bad, this boy has had some serious training so he was able to take most of the impact. He should be fine."

The two breathed a sigh of relief before Kensei diverted his attention to Sougetsu. "Is this how far you have fallen brother? Working for criminals and harming children?" Sougetsu simply shrugged, "Fights are fights, regardless of who they are for or against, it doesn't matter to me."

Kensei merely shook his head in sorrow, "I see, then I am sorry brother but I am afraid I must stop you here." He then faced his brother with a serious look. Both men assumed their fighting stances before charging.

Renka and Kenichi watched the battle transpire though Renka's attention slowly fell on Naruto who was slowly regaining consciousness. His eyes slowly opened to meet Renka's.

Now one would expect Renka to hug Naruto in happy realization he is conscious again. Sadly Renka doesn't follow that way of thinking and instead proceed to smash her fist onto his head, eliciting a yelp of pain.

"Ow, Renka what the hell, I'm injured." He slowly clutched his head, only to lose his defiance as he saw Renka had tears forming in her eyes. "Um Renka you alright?"

His eyes widened as Renka embraced Naruto, "You idiot I was worried about you. First you got hurt saving Kenichi and me then you fought against Uncle Sougetsu and got smashed through a wall. How did you expect me to feel?" Naruto's eyes softened as he slowly place his left hand on Renkas back.

"Sorry about that Renka, I was too focused on keeping you and Kenichi safe. Didn't mean to worry you." Renka slowly looked up at Naruto before realizing she was still hugging him and jumped off. She puffed her cheeks and turned her head to its side to hide her blush.

"It's no big deal, just don't do it again." Naruto simply smirked, "No promises."

The two would have continued their conversation however the sound of a large explosion coming from the other room caught their attention. The battle between Sougetsu and Kensei had quickly turned fierce and was now raging in the other room.

Naruto slowly and with some effort managed to stand up with Renka not far behind, should he need support. They along with Kenichi made their way over to the hole in the wall from earlier just in time to see the Ma brothers clash.

At first glance it appeared that Sougetsu had made the decisive blow, however he was quickly blown back by the force of his brothers attack. Naruto and the other simply stared as the seemingly invincible Sougetsu was put down.

"_Incredible, I hit that guy with everything I had and it barely faszd him. Meanwhile this Kensei guy does it with one blow. No doubt he is defiantly one hell of a master, better watch my step around him." _Naruto could hear Kensei talk briefly with Sougetsu about something, how their lives turned out and such.

Unfortunately things turned bad when the building began to shake and fire started to sprout around them. Kenichi quickly started to panic, "What happened?" Despite the atmosphere Sougetsu and Kensei still stayed calm as they exchanged a few last words.

"Huh, killed by the cowardly actions of some low class thugs, what a fitting end for someone like me." The beaten master said as he slowly chugged on his saki. Kensei merely looked at his brother with sadness and regret. "I am truly sorry things turned out this way Sougetsu, I only wish I could have done more to keep you from going down this path."

With those words he turned his back to his brother and made his way to the others. Naruto immediately knew what that Kensei had no intention of saving Sougetsu. Kensei quickly diverted his attention to them, "Alright kids, lets get out of here."

Kenichi however finally chose to speak up, "Master you can't honestly mean you're going to leave him here are you?" Kensei merely dropped his head so his hat could hide his eyes.

Sadly it wasn't enough for Kenichi who prepared to go and help Sougetsu when Naruto spoke up. "Don't Kenichi." Naturally he turned to Naruto and found his eyes held a sad look that he hadn't seen before.

"_It's funny, the way Sougetsu and Kensei act, it's almost exactly like how Sasuke and I were." _He slowly looked to Kenichi, "Think for a second Kenichi Sougetsu has done a number of horrible things that he himself isn't proud of and can't even return to his homeland. It may not seem like the best option but if he wants to end his life here, then shouldn't you at least honor that?" All eyes focused on Naruto with different views and thoughts.

Kensei however held a look of understanding on his face, _"This boy must have had a similar experience, his eyes say it all."_ He then placed his hand on Kenichi's shoulder at looked at him with a reassuring smile, "Come on Kenichi, lets go."

His disciple simply nodded as the group entered the still working elevator. All eyes focused on Sougetsu to find he had a smile on his face as he watched them. However Naruto took notice of how for a brief instance Sougetsu's eyes were focused on him.

(Scene Change Gekirin)

"I can't believe he just left like that!" Renka shouted angrily as she swept up the now closed Restaurant floor. After the incident with Sougetsu the group returned to Gekirin. Once they arrived Naruto was looked over and given some first aid for his injuries while Kensei had a small talk with Kenichi.

Hakubi had told Renka to go make tea for everyone while he and Kensei talked for a moment. Sadly when she came back Kensei and Kenichi had left, leaving her rather perturbed.

Renka continued to sweep with her cheeks puffed up in anger as Hakubi watch with amusement. "I wouldn't worry too much, your father needs time to get his affairs in order then I am sure he will be ready to go back to China with you." With the response Renka slowly calmed herself. "I suppose your right."

Hakubi smiled back at her before taking a look around, "To bad Naruto couldn't stick around to help, but I didn't feel it was right for him to work while he was injured." Renka immediately perked up at the mention of Naruto.

Her mind played back over to the moment where he saved her from Sougetsu. He looked so mature and courageous, not to mention the warm feeling of his arms wrapped around her.

Renka's face quickly heated up and turned red from her thoughts. Hakubi took notice of this and chuckled to himself as he walked away. Renka turned to the doorway Naruto left out of and slowly smiled. _"Who knows maybe I'll take Naruto back to China to. I bet Mom would just love him."_

(Scene Change)

Achoo, Ow.

Naruto cringed from the sneeze, which sadly caused his injuries to act up. Despite the pain Naruto continued his way home as he looked to the sky thinking over what had happened.

"_This was the first time I ever really fought a master, and now I know just how tough they really are._" Naruto looked at his open palm as he mused over his thoughts before clutching it into a fist. _"I need to get stronger."_

The blonde ex-ninja continued to walk until he felt a familiar presence emanating behind him. He slowly turned to find none other than Sougetsu ma standing behind him.

Naruto knew he was in no shape to fight but refused to show fear. So he slowly collected himself before adopting a serious look, "What exactly do you want?"

Sougetsu actually chuckled at his attempt at intimidation, "You don't seem too surprised I survived."

"I have seen people survived a hell of a lot worse things that being stuck in a burning building. Despite what I said I figured you weren't the kind of man to die in such a pathetic manner. So with that in mind, what do you want?"

Sougetsu continued to chuckle as he took a swing of his bottle before looking up at Naruto. "You're Sol's disciple aren't you." At that moment Naruto's eyes shot up, "You know Sol-sensei?" then his eyes quickly narrowed, "How exactly did you figure I was even trained by him?

Sougetsu slowly made his way over to Naruto as he spoke, "The fact you could fight against me and still walk away proves you were obviously trained by a strong master. Also I only know of one Capoeira master who happened to mention his Disciple was someone who didn't know the meaning of the words "Give up."

Naruto stared for a moment at Sougetsu surprised by his words before smirking, "That does sound like something he would say." The kempo master looked up to the sky and focused on the moon, "I first met Sol not long after my exile from China. I practically drowned myself in violence and alcohol till I ran into him. Gave me on hell of an ass kicking."

Eyes widened at the revelation as Sougetsu turned his back and started to walk away. He paused midway and turned to Naruto, "You've got one hell of a master kid but, you've got a long way to go if you ever hope to be half the man he is." With that he took another swing of his bottle and was gone.

Naruto simply stood there looking at the now vacant spot where Sougetsu once stood. Before a small grin broke out on his face as he turned and continued to head home. _"I will make you proud Sol-sensei and the next time we meet, I'll be strong enough to handle any master."_

**-Ninth Fist End-**

_Okay that's it. Man this was a long chapter. Now I know the romance part may have seemed a little rushed but that's pretty much how Renka got a crush on Kenichi by seeing how he was willing to save Sougetsu. Naruto took it one step further by actually fighting him, plus she knows Naruto a bit more which is part of the reason she freaked when he got hurt. It's not that different from the anime where Kenichi meets a person and by the end of the day their friends. Just keep that in mind._

_Now the next chapter may take a while since I am back in school but I will at least try to update Oracion Eight before that. However I won't abandon this story so don't worry. Also sorry if the whole Naruto and Kenichi thing is confusing since Naruto kinda of doesn't like him but he can't really reveal himself as Fenrir to him right. One last thing, The reason Kenichi didn't recognize Naruto's fighting style was because he didn't start in Ginga and also doesn't know much about Capoeira, just wanted to clear that up._

_Sorry no Omake for today, will try to make another one later. Well hope you enjoyed this remember to review and enjoy the next chapter when it comes out. Till then Agurra out._


	7. Chapter 7

Yo everyone, it's Agurra here with the Seventh installment of "The Ninth Fist". First off I want to apologize for making you wait so long. However, I had a lot of tests to study for and didn't want to fail, so sorry about that. Second, I just want you all to know that no matter how much time I may take with some chapters I won't end this story prematurely, so if you thought I would I am putting those thoughts at ease. I will also try to keep my other story, **Oracion Eight (**Check out if you haven't already), going as well so I will probably update one before the other to let you know. Regardless of this I hope you will keep reading.

I also should let you know this chapter will have some parts that will have you begging for the next update, so keep that in mind. With that out of the way, LET'S GET GOING!

Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness does not own Naruto or Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple. If I did, oh man, the stuff I would do!

***Ninth Fist Start***

The sky was clear and all was peaceful around the Tanimoto mansion, though its owner, as expected, was still away. However, his backyard training area was currently occupied by one blonde Capoeria practitioner.

Said boy was currently balancing himself with one arm on a wooden training post. By most standards that alone would qualify as impressive. For Naruto however, it wasn't nearly enough. Thus he was currently balancing three large rocks the size of bowling balls on the balls of his feet while his legs were fully extended. Adding to the intensity of this was the fact he was slowly pushing himself up and down while maintaining both his balance and keeping the rocks steady, all while counting his reps.

"459, 460, 461, 462…"

Despite the intense workout he was currently undertaking, the young blonde's mind was focused on another matter, leaving his body on autopilot. The main issue was his recent battle against the Chinese Kempo Master Sogetsu Ma. It had been a little over a week since his encounter with the ferocious fighter, and yet the whole thing was still fresh on his mind.

The one part that had hit him the most however were the drunken master's parting words for him. _"You've got one hell of master kid, but you've got a long way to go if you ever hope to be half the man he is."_ His defeat and those words were like a hard slap to the face for Naruto. Up to that point he hadn't met anyone who could challenge him and he had never actually compared himself to master, especially not Sol.

The fact that he couldn't even put a dent in Sougetsu made it painfully obvious just how outclassed he was compared to a master. What made it worse was that Sougetsu had admitted that he had been soundly defeated by Sol, making said gap even larger. But if anyone knew Naruto then they knew that he wasn't the kind of person to quit because of something like that. So it was only natural for him to throw himself into his own intense training regimen.

Among those exercises were: maintaining a handstand with a boulder the size of a small car balanced on his feet for 2 hours, practicing his kicks and floor movement on small posts while holding a cup of tea in each hand without spilling a single drop and finally, to improve his strength and durability, kicking stone training posts as opposed to wooden ones. All in all it was pretty much crazy by most standards, though when compared to some of his master's training methods it was a cake walk.

After finishing his reps the former ninja pushed himself off the post, sending the rocks high into the air. He then flipped back, allowing him to land feet first on the pole before catching the falling rocks with his hands and his outstretched left leg. He then proceeded to the stone training posts he had managed to make himself.

As he prepared himself for further practice he thought back to another, more recent issue that didn't want to leave his mind. This one however didn't bring forth him disappointment or disruption but rather anger and loathing.

The memory began to play in his mind as Naruto glared at the post in front of him. Slowly he began to picture a certain person in place of the post that was now the target of this anger. In an instant Naruto lashed out at the post with a vicious kick, causing the post to groan at the sheer force. With his leg seemingly glued to the post the blonde thought back at what he had witnessed that brought about this strange new anger in him whilst muttering the name of the person that brought forth this boiling hot rage inside him.

"Kenichi Shirahama… You scum!"

_(Flashback, three days ago)_

_It was a relatively normal day as Naruto slowly made his way to the Gekirin for his daily workload. When his attention turned to a nearby clock he began to slowly quicken his pace._

_"I better hurry, if I don't get there before the lunch rush starts Renka's gonna chew my ass out."_

_Since the incident with her uncle Renka had started behaving differently around Naruto. For one thing she didn't smack him upside the head as much as she did before and stuck to simply scolding him. Furthermore she even became somewhat shy and hesitated to look at him sometimes, which only confused Naruto further._

_Sadly, while Sol had taught Naruto many things, understanding a woman was the one thing even he hadn't been able to help him with. Yet despite her somewhat reserved attitude she still took every chance she could to yell at him, for example failing to get to work as soon as possible. Hence the reason Naruto was hurrying along by now._

_As he got closer to the district in question, his blue eyes quickly spotted a rather familiar and unpleasant sight, namely Kenichi Shirahama. Naruto felt the need to slap himself at his ability to run into his enemy at every turn._

_"What is it with this guy, is he stalking me or something?"_

_The Ninth Fist simply sighed, seeing little point in arguing with the screwed up way the universe seemed to work with and focused more on Kenichi. He was currently outside of a small restaurant, but what made this situation weird was the fact that he was crouching down so that he couldn't be seen from inside the restaurant, like he was hiding._

"_What the hell is he hiding from?"_

_Naruto quickly took a moment to glance through the window. I was enough to make out several figures that were apparently in a fight. One in particular stood out._

_"Loki? Just what the hell is he doing here….. Wait a minute, is that…?" A somewhat familiar flag bearer seemed to be among the combatants._

_The gears in Naruto's head started to spin as he put two and two together before he sighed once again._

_"Great, Loki must've tricked those idiots into coming here so he could ambush them. Well, at least he's finally doing something about those Shinpaku idiots." However, he quickly gained a confused look as his attention shifted back to Kenichi again._

_"Wait a minute, isn't he supposed to be part of that gang? Why is just standing there while his friends get their asses kicked?" At that moment Naruto's ears picked up on some very interesting words._

"_It's not my problem, I have nothing to do with the Shinpaku Alliance, so why should I get involved?" Naruto froze at the words he had managed make out._

_His eyes never lost focus of Kenichi, but they now held a blank, unreadable expression in them as their owner processed what he had just heard. "Is he serious? His friends, comrades or whatever they are, are being attacked and he isn't gonna do anything just cause he doesn't feel like it?"_

_After a moment of processing this Naruto's anger started to rise as all he could see was red. On reflex he began to grit his teeth and clench his hands in anger. His nails dug into his palms so deeply that they started to bleed. Even though the Leaf had betrayed him, and Naruto definitely tried to forget his old life, there was one lesson, one sentiment he would never let go of. It was the most important lesson Kakashi had ever taught him, and he would never forget it._

"_**Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their teammates are worse than scum."**_

_No matter what would happen to him in the future, no matter how much he would change, this was the one lesson Naruto would always follow. He could never even consider betraying his teammates, including Ragnarok, for any reason. Yet here this guy was actually talking about leaving his friends to get lynched._

_It was true that Naruto hadn't liked Kenichi at first due to his half-assed beliefs, cowardly attitude and self-contradicting logic. This little display however turned that dislike into absolute hate and disgust. He had only one thought on his mind now._

_"I am going to demolish that spineless piece of crap!"_

_The blonde slowly began to actually leak KI as he made his way towards Kenichi, fully intent on making him suffer in the worst way possible. That was, until a certain vibrating in his left pocket caught his attention. Growling in anger he quickly yanked out his now vibrating cell phone._

_"This better be important."_

_The phone revealed a small text message that read._ "_**NARUTO! GET YOUR ASS DOWN TO THE GEKIRIN RIGHT NOW! Renka"**_

_Naruto stared at the message before turning back to Kenichi, weighing the options of his next decision._

_"Okay, on the one hand I could beat that bastard within an inch of his life and make myself feel better. On the other hand Renka would be pissed at me and never let me hear the end of it." He contemplated for a few moments before taking a calming breath and took one last cold look at the still cowering Kenichi._

"_He isn't worth the aggravation." With a quick turn he continued his way toward his destination, yet his anger had not left him. "He'll get what he deserves soon enough."_

_(End of Flashback)_

Naruto continued to strike the stone post as the memory went through his mind, each strike gradually becoming more vicious to the point where the pillar was starting to crack. At that point Naruto halted his assault for a moment and turned his back to the stone pillar.

"Be prepared, Kenichi Shirahama." In that instant he spun around and unleashed a fierce armada kick, shattering the pillar to dust. While glaring at the gravel he spoke. "Next time we meet I will show you the true meaning of pain!"

(Scene change: Ryozanpaku)

Kenichi suddenly paused as he felt a chill go down his spine, leaving him with an uneasy feeling. "What was that? What is this uneasiness I'm feeling…?" He paused his exercise to stare at the post he had been practicing on up to that point. For a moment the disciple had simply felt afraid. He didn't know why, he just felt fear.

"Something the matter Kenichi?"

Shaken from his daze Kenichi's eyes quickly turned their attention to the source of the voice, the Jujitsu Master Akisame.

"Master Koetsuji, I'm sorry. It's just that for some strange reason I got this uneasy feeling all of a sudden."

Akisame's eyes narrowed slightly as he stroked his chin. "That's interesting… Tell me, what exactly was this feeling like?"

"Well, it was like a cold chill went up my spine and for a moment I just felt afraid, like something terrifying was coming." Kenichi seemed quiet distressed by the notion. "Please don't worry about it."

Kenichi looked at his master, whose face held a smile. "You shouldn't read so deeply into everything around you. You'll end up making yourself paranoid if you worry too much." With that he let out a light chuckle, which of course managed to take Kenichi out of his slump.

"Though..." Akisame continued. "I can tell that this is not the only thing on your mind at the moment, isn't it Kenichi?"

Since the incident with Sougetsu it had become apparent to all the masters that something was eating away at Kenichi. He actually was more focused on his training and seemed to complain less. Yet they could sense discontent in their disciple's demeanor and were determined to find its source.

Kenichi did seem somewhat hesitant to comply though. "Um, thanks Master, but it's nothing. Please don't worry about it; let's just get back to training!" He slowly turned around to continue his punching when five shuriken flew out of nowhere, pinning his clothes to the pole.

Kenichi's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as sweat began to drip down his face, having narrowly avoided being skewered alive. Akisame on the other hand simply shook his head. "Shigure, I thought we all agreed that we would only resort to force when it was absolutely necessary."

Said weapon mistress quickly appeared on the top of the roof, shuriken in hand. "He was taking too long." She spoke with a blank expression, despite the situation.

"Shigure's right you know, Akisame. Kenichi isn't the type of person to just share information with someone. Besides, isn't it our job as masters to try and aid our disciple in any way we can?" Kensei said as he suddenly appeared near Akisame, his face buried in one of his magazines.

It wasn't long before Sakai and Apachai appeared alongside the others while Miu helped pulling Kenichi off the post. All eyes were now on Kenichi, awaiting his response.

Seeing that there was no way out of it he relented. "Alright, it's about what happened with Sougetsu. That guy I met, Naruto, said if I didn't have the resolve to fight even if my life was at stake, then I shouldn't even call myself a Martial Artist." All the masters just sat there silently and listened, soaking in each word as Kenichi continued.

"At first I didn't understand what he meant. I mean, risking my life was never something I even considered when I started my training. But then, when I saw Sougetsu, I just froze up and sat there while Renka and Naruto got hurt." Kenichi actually started to clench his fists in anger at his own helplessness. His masters' eyes softened, knowing exactly what he was going through.

Kenichi continued to shake as he spoke. "All I could do was sit there and watch Renka being crushed. I was so afraid and so powerless, I didn't know what to do!" He paused for a moment, trying to collect himself somewhat. "Then Naruto took Sougetsu on. Even though he was fighting a master and killer with little chance of victory, he didn't back down at all while all I did was cower in a corner like some little kid." He actually slammed his fist against the post, shocking all those present.

He looked up at the masters with a conflicted expression. "Since that day I've been asking myself: what have I been doing all this time? Do I even have the right to keep training if all I do is run and hide? I am starting to think that what Fenrir said was right, I am nothing but a coward!"

For a moment, silence reigned over the dojo they had gathered in.

"Is that what you really think or just what you believe to be true?" Kenichi looked to his side only to find the Elder towering over him. "Listen, Kenichi. It's true that Martial Arts can be dangerous and you must be brave in order to move forward. But you must also realize that everyone begins to doubt themselves from time to time. That doesn't mean you should give up. It's only human to doubt oneself from time to time." The other masters all nodded in agreement.

"Come on kid, you think we haven't been where you have? Everyone gets scared and it's nothing to be ashamed of, it's choosing to face that fear head on that shows your resolve!" Sakaki said with a reassuring tone.

Appachi actually managed to put on a serious face to his words. "Apa just be brave Kenichi and never stop fighting! That is true strength, APA APA!" The Muai Thai masters eyes actually started to burn as he punched out, driving his point forward.

Miu also decided to speak. "Don't forget, even if you are scared, you'll have your friends to back you up if things get too tough." Kenichi actually started to smile at his masters' and Miu's words. "Thanks guys, that really means a lot to me, really…"

"HEY KENICHI, YOU HERE?"

A very familiar voice suddenly echoed throughout the dojo, causing Kenichi to cringe in discomfort before turning in the direction of the sound. "That voice, don't tell me..."

Almost out of nowhere everyone's favorite alien/demon Haruo Nijima appeared, his ever present evil grin firmly plastered on his face. "Yoyo, what's up Kenichi?"

While it was obvious that Nijima was happy to see Kenichi, the same couldn't be said for the latter. Kenichi quickly got into said alien's face. "Just what the hell are you doing here Nijima, can't you go bother someone else?" Despite the annoyed tone he held the strange boy didn't even seem fazed.

"Now come on, is that any way to speak to your best friend? Especially when he has come with juicy info on Ragnarok?" Kenichi's attention was actually caught for a moment, thus keeping him from strangling said alien boy.

Now, normally Kenichi would stay far away from Nijima or anything that had to do with Ragnarok, but it didn't hurt to stay informed. So despite his uneasiness he asked. "Alright Nijima, I'll bite. What do you have that's so important?"

In an instant the freaky alien was typing away at his pilot with ridiculous speeds before turning it to Kenichi, revealing a quite strange looking individual. He was a young teenage boy with long silver hair and pale eyes, clad in what appeared to be a maroon jacket with gold trimmings down the middle and on the cuffs, green pants, black boots and a matching Maroon hat.

All eyes stared at the picture while Nijima spoke. "This guy is the Fifth Fist of Ragnarok, Siegfried. However, he is known by another nickname. '_The Zombie Fighter'." _Kenichi actually turned white at the title. _"Zombie? He's kidding, right?"_

However, it was quite clear that he was serious as Nijima quickly followed with reports of several gang leaders who had fought the Fist. They all said the same thing about him. "He came back from the Dead!" or "He just wouldn't die!"

They just kept repeating those sentences over and over with no end in sight, until Kenichi finally had it. "Enough already, Nijima! Look, as far as I'm concerned I want nothing to do with your Shinpaku Alliance or Ragnarok, so give it a rest already!" Everyone paused for a moment before Nijima slowly stood up and turned his back to Kenichi.

"Alright Kenichi, if that's the way you want it, fine..." He then proceeded to slowly walk to the door before stopping again. "It's too bad, really. And here I was going to show you some of the info I managed to gather on the Ninth Fist, but oh well..." Before he could even take another step forward, Kenichi was right in front of him with a slightly hysterical look on his face.

"Heh, heh, um, why don't we just forget everything I said and you share that info with us? Huh?" Nijima quickly got a slight glimmer in his eyes. _"I knew he would listen if I used the right bait!"_

Everyone quickly seated themselves again as Nijima searched for the info. "Now as we all know originally there were only Eight Deadly Fists of Ragnarok before this guy showed up. However, this wasn't just some simple promotion. Apparently he was made a Fist right after joining Ragnarok."

That quickly got everyone's attention. "Are you serious Nijima?" Kenichi asked only to see Nijima's serious face.

"I wouldn't make this stuff up; this guy became a Fist in virtually no time flat. That's something unheard of in Ragnarok. Though that's only the tip of the iceberg. Apparently he was recommended by the Fourth Fist himself, Loki."

Kenichi quickly flashed back to the incident at the restaurant not too long ago after being suckered into one of Nijima's plans, remembering the face of the Fourth Fist.

"The fact this guy was recommended by one of the Fists is an obvious testament to his strength, they wouldn't let just any thug into the gang. Though I think you can vouch for how strong he is better than anyone, Kenichi." Kenichi's face hardened as he remembered his painful defeat at the hands of Fenrir.

It was true that Kenichi had battled the Fists in the past and both Valkyrie and Hermit had been strong opponents. However, there was something different about Fenrir, not just his fighting style or superior strength but something entirely else. For a moment in their battle it had almost felt like he was fighting one of the masters.

"You're right Nijima, he's strong, but I already knew that. Don't you have some more useful info?" Naturally Nijima searched through his data for something but slowly grew more and more agitated. "Damn it, the only other information I have here is that he took down some gang as part of his initiation, other than that: nothing. It's weird, almost like this guy never even existed till now!" Kenichi actually started to get frustrated at this lack of info.

"Unbelievable Nijima, the one time I actually care about your precious information you have nothing to offer. Guess you're not as good a spy as you think." Whether the boy was trying to egg the alien on was anyone's guess, but Nijima was taking the bait anyway.

"You think that all the time and effort I put into my spy network is joke, huh? Just you wait Kenichi, I'll get you info on the Fists so juicy you could drink it!" With that and his trademark evil laugh he disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Miu actually chuckled at the display. "Well Kenichi, you certainly got him fired up. Though I'm a bit worried, couldn't Nijima get himself in serious trouble if he goes poking around Ragnarok?"

Kenichi however didn't look too worried. "Don't worry Miu, Nijima's more slippery than an eel and even if he does get caught, it's his own fault. It's not like I specifically asked him to go asking for trouble."

To anyone present it was obvious though that Kenichi had only meant half of what he had just said. While it was true that he didn't have a high opinion of Nijima, he also couldn't say that he hated the guy. Of course he wouldn't admit that to anyone.

"I see death in that man's future."

Kenichi and Miu both turned to Shigure with slightly unsettled looks on their faces. "Um, Shigure, what are you talking about?"

The stoic weapon user simply looked to where Nijima had left. "I see disaster following him – and pain."

Kenichi actually started to shiver. Not only because of the words but the tone Shigure had said it in reminded him of a horror movie. Akisame however quickly lightened the mood.

"I wouldn't worry too much Kenichi. Shigure always says cryptic things like that. Plus it only sounds scary cause she's talking in that tone of voice. I'm sure nothing will happen to your friend, so let's get back to training, shall we?"

The young disciple took one last look to where his _friend _had left before nodding. Yet even as he turned his back he couldn't shake this feeling of uneasiness deep in the pit of his gut. Something was going to happen. It was only a matter of where and when.

(Scene and Time Change: Harbor, nighttime)

It was close to 10:00 at night as the moon shone over the currently empty harbor, save for one particular Deadly Fist with a penchant for trouble. Namely Loki, whose attention was currently focused on the small wire puzzle in his hands.

As he fiddled with the toy he continued to chuckle to himself as he felt a familiar presence grow closer to him. "Nice to see you finally showed up, Fenrir. What kept you?"

The Ninth Fist slowly made his way to his comrade, the moonlight bringing him into focus. Despite the calm atmosphere it was obvious that Fenrir wasn't in a good mood.

"Any particular reason you dragged me down here, Loki? I was in the middle of something important and would prefer to be alone right now, so what do you want?" He waited for a moment as Loki continued to toy with the puzzle before finally managing to pull it apart.

With a slight chuckle he tossed the plaything aside before placing his hands in his pockets. "Huh, that was way too easy, guess they just don't make wire puzzles like they used to anymore." The trickster could only grin further as he sensed Fenrir's agitation.

Seeing little point in beating around the bush any longer he turned his eyes to Fenrir. "Well, as per why you're here, it was actually a request made by someone…."

Fenrir was surprised at the revelation and curious. "Who exactly?"

Loki continued to chuckle before stepping to the side, revealing none other than the Fifth Fist, Siegfried. Now Fenrir went from surprised to just plain confused when he saw the musician, who politely tipped his hat in greeting.

"It's good to see you again, Fenrir. Sorry to inconvenience you like this but there has been something weighing on my mind that I needed to settle and could only do so with your help."

"_Okay, this is a little weird but I might as well see what he wants." _Fenrir thought to himself before speaking. "Alright Siegfried, what exactly do you need?"

At that instance Siegfried's eyes seemed to light up with fire of what could be called passion. "FOR YOU AND I TO MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER, LALALALA!"

There was an awkward silence as Fenrir had gone from confused to flat out disturbed. Loki seemed to be holding in a serious laugh and failing while Siegfried simply awaited his response.

It took a few moments for the Ninth Fist to shake himself from the shock and awkwardness of the situation. "Um, I don't suppose you could rephrase that, could you?"

Another long pause followed before Loki finally broke out in hysterical laughter at the situation between the two Fists. "AHAHAHAH! Oh man, you guys are a frigging riot! I should've brought my camera! AHAHAHA!" He continued to laugh as the staring contest between the two Fists marched on.

Siegfried naturally didn't seem to comprehend the possible misunderstanding any of his words. However, being intelligent enough to see things were going nowhere he chose to try again. "Perhaps I wasn't clear enough: what I meant was for you and I to have a match against each other."

Now _that_ got Fenrir's attention, though he was still confused by the request. "Why exactly do you want to fight me, aren't we on the same team?"

Siegfried naturally nodded in response. "Yes we are, however, it's more than a simple battle. You see, I am not only a Martial Artist but also a musician and I create music through combat. Up to this point I have yet to find an opponent who could help me create truly wondrous music."

He then rather dramatically pointed his finger at Fenrir. "Then you appeared! Ever since I first laid my eyes upon you and saw you fight I was mesmerized by your power and skills. More so by your morality and determination, but most of all I could sense something else inside of you, a deep sense of emotion like no other. All these things are the ingredients for the most grandiose music of all time! So I beg you Fenrir, let our skills clash with a thunderous voice and bring about a beautiful symphony, Lalalala!"

Fenrir actually was somewhat shell-shocked, partially from Siegfried's words as well as by his surprisingly accurate analysis of his character. It was obvious that Siegfried was passionate about this whole thing and who was he to turn down a challenge?

With small smile the Ninth Fist cracked his neck and joints before assuming his Ginga stance. "Alright Siegfried, if this is what you want then let's go! Just don't expect me to hold back."

Siegfried seemed overjoyed as he slowly assumed his own stance with a smile on his face.

"I would never even dream of asking for anything of the sort! Come at me with everything, your power, your strength and all of your emotions! I will craft beautiful sound!"

Naturally Siegfried didn't have to wait long as Fenrir quickly performed a fast cartwheel before leaping into a back flip and turning to unleash his attack.

"**Armada."**

The kick struck the Fifth Fist's jaw with incredible force. However, Fenrir was far from done as he continued to turn around before he dropped on his hands and rotated with incredible speed, striking his comrade with no less than ten systematic kicks.

Loki watched from the sidelines as the so-called Immortal Composer flew through the air after the barrage. All the while laughing at the spectacle before him. _"Every time I see this guy fight it's just another reminder of how much of a genius I was in recruiting him. Though I wouldn't count Siegfried out just yet." _As these thoughts went through his mind said Fist made contact with the ground.

Naturally Fenrir had already returned to his Ginga position, awaiting his opponent's response. "Maybe I hit him too hard."

"Magnificent! Such raw emotional power!" Fenrir's eyes widened when he saw the fallen Siegfried quickly lift himself from the ground again before he spun his right leg, knocking Fenrir off balance.

"Now my friend, give me more and more of your power!" As he spoke those words he performed a move similar to Fenrir's earlier attack only with his head on the ground for balance and his legs in a full split.

Thankfully Fenrir had anticipated the attack and managed to flip himself backwards and out of the way. He managed to land on his hand before straightening himself back up and once again facing Siegfried, who was now standing ready for the next attack.

The former shinobi actually smiled at his friend's surprising vitality. "Not bad Siegfried, you almost had me there." However, he quickly got his mind back into the fight and rotated his hips so his back was facing Siegfried before he fired his left leg right into Siegfried's abdomen.

"**Chapa Giratorio."**

Once again Siegfried was sent flying and like before Fenrir responded with a second attack, spinning completely so his leg could return to the ground while he lowered his hand to the ground for balance once again and then unleashed a straight kick with his right leg once more into Siegfried's abdomen.

**"Chapa de Costas."**

However, unlike the last attack this one actually sent the Fifth Fist flying right into a stack of nearby crates. Unfortunately said Composer had underestimated the force of the kick and was unable to keep himself from crashing into the crates in a heap.

Fenrir could only watch the situation unfold with an embarrassed look on his concealed face. "Uh, sorry about that Siegfried but I told you I wasn't gonna hold back, are you still alive?"

He awaited a response from the downed Fist and thankfully didn't have to wait long as the young composer quickly rose from the shattered wood, looking a little worse for wear. Yet he didn't seem the least bit bothered as he was currently scribbling something down on a piece of paper at a ridiculous speed.

"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! Such fire, such passion! I have never experienced such things before! You are truly a fighter like no other!" Wanting to resume he quickly place the paper in his coat and his pen back in his hat before preparing to continue when suddenly -

"Cough, Cough, dammit! I knew I should have been more careful." All eyes quickly shot to the pile of shattered wood only to spot a familiar face. Naturally both Siegefried's and Fenrir's expression hardened at their fight being interrupted and also when they saw who it was, while Loki got a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Haruo Nijima however, was currently ignorant of the situation as he dusted himself off. _"Well, despite the setbacks I now have at least some more info on the Fists. Now I just have to show it to Kenichi and….." _At that moment he looked up and found all three Fists staring down at him.

Loki looked at him with a sinister to look. "Well guys, looks like we just caught ourselves a spy from the Shinpaku Alliance, and you know what we do with spies." Fenrir and Siegfried began to crack their knuckles in response while Nijima started to sweat. One last thought passed through his mind before the fists descended on him.

"_Oh CRAP!"_

(Scene Change: next day, Kenichi's school)

"Weird, I haven't seen Nijima in school today. I wonder where he could be."

Miu had a worried look on her face as she wondered where the alien faced boy was. Kenichi held the same concerns. Since their encounter with him at the dojo neither he nor Miu or anyone for that matter had seen neither hide nor hair of the freaky teen.

Though they didn't see much reason to worry, especially Kenichi just couldn't shake this uneasy feeling he had been holding since last night. "_I sure hope Nijima didn't get himself into any kind of trouble over what I said yesterday."_

It didn't take long before the bell rung and both teens slowly made their way towards the dojo. Neither one said a word and simply moved forward with uneasy looks on their faces. This continued for about three blocks before Miu finally spoke up.

"Kenichi, I know I shouldn't, but I'm starting to get really worried about Nijima. It's not like him to just disappear like this."

Kenichi nodded in response. "I know, normally it's impossible to keep that guy away from you, so I figured something must have happened. Problem is we have no idea where he is or even a way to find him. What do we do?"

At this point both had paused at the bridge over the river as they mused over their worries. Then something caught Miu's eye. "Hey what's that in the water?" Kenichi managed to get a glimpse of something metallic in the water and quickly recognized it.

"That's Nijima's planner! This is bad, if there's one thing I know about Nijima it's that he'd sooner die than let anything happen to that thing. Something is definitely wrong!"

While Kenichi quickly thought about the situation he failed to notice Miu nimbly jumping down to the small walkway at the river's edge to retrieve the pad before hopping back up. As she took a look at the obvious broken object she took noticed something on the back. "Kenichi look, there's something carved into the back."

The blonde quickly flipped the pads back to reveal a message.

"IF YOU WANT YOUR FRIEND HARUO NIJIMA SAFE AND SOUND, COME TO THE DOCKS AT THE WEST END OF THE CITY BY MIDNIGHT. COME ALONE!"

Seeing that message made it quickly clear what had happened. Namely that their friend got too close to Ragnarok and was gonna pay for it big time. Kenichi's eyes quickly became determined as he turned to Miu, who held a similar look. "Come on Miu, we've got to save Nijima before Ragnarok does who knows what to him!"

She quickly nodded as the two planned to head to Ryozanpaku first to inform the masters of the situation. As they rushed towards their destination, Kenichi looked at the now setting sun as if it was some kind of timer counting down to Nijima's doom. _"Hang on Nijima, we're coming for you!"_

(Scene Change Docks, Night)

Loki and his goons were currently waiting outside of one of the dock warehouses, mostly just to pass the time. After the group had caught Nijima, Loki had suggested putting the freak in a crate and stick him on a boat to god knows where. Of course both Fenrir and Siegfried were fine with the idea, however, the little freak threatened them saying that Kenichi would show up.

At that point it was actually Fenrir who shut the freak up by saying that Shirahama didn't give a damn about him whatsoever. To prove it he actually took the kids pad and craved their little message into the back and then had one of Loki's goons place it somewhere the disciple would find it.

Now they were simply waiting for him to show up, if he showed up at all. Granted, they were a little annoyed at the idea but Fenrir simply said: "If he doesn't show up by the time indicated then we just prove our point." Loki of course didn't question it as he personally loved to screw with people's minds.

Siegfried on the other hand took the time to properly write down the melody he had been inspirited to after his brief battle with Fenrir, saying he couldn't wait. Since they had caged the little freak he had locked himself in the warehouse and hadn't come out since while Fenrir had gone off to take care of some personal business. He had said that he would be back soon though.

"Sheesh Loki, how much longer are we gonna have to wait here? I'm bored as hell and there's nothing to do, can't we just go?" One of Loki's nameless goons asked.

Loki however was deterred as he was currently busy with another wire puzzle. "Be patient number 48, after all, I'm curious to see if that punk Shirahama shows up or not. Heheheh, if he does we have an excuse to kick his ass and if he doesn't we can use that as a way to ruin his reputation. We win either way. So it's worth sitting here in the dark for a bit. Besides, Sieg said his new song was just about done so we'll at least have some entertainment."

There was a resounding groan from all the thugs present. Sadly most of the members of the gang didn't share Siegfried's passion for music and weren't thrilled at the idea of listening to his music – again. Unfortunately they weren't in a position to argue and would just have to suck it up.

They sat there for another few minutes when a small sound started to echo around them, catching the attention of everyone present, even Loki's. "Looks like Sieg's ready to play. This should be interesting."

The sound started slow and low yet almost melancholy before gradually becoming louder, more emotional and strong. Even those not musically inclined could literally feel the passion in each note. Even Loki was surprised by the sound. _"Geez Sieg, this is definitely one hell of a song. You might actually have to play it for the other Fists at this rate."_

Yet the most captivating thing about this particular piece wasn't the roaring sound and passion but the underlying sound that followed. It was concealed for the most part by the rest of the song, yet still stood out. The sound seemed sad, lonely almost like a sense of longing a wanderer would seek.

The whole group was captivated by the sound, seemingly hypnotized by its melody. But none was captivated more so than Siegfried himself, whose own mind was focused on both the song and its inspiration. _"Fenrir, my friend, what is it you are hiding? You may be able to fool the others, but your song says it all. Such a strong and powerful melody, yet such hidden sadness and sorrow beneath the surface. What is it that troubles you I wonder?"_

The composer continued to muse as his symphony continued, his gaze turning to the moon that was visible through the window. "_You are like the moon in many ways, Fenrir. The part that you show to the world is bright, clear and breathtaking, yet at the same time you conceal some hidden darkness from our sight. Perhaps someday I may learn the secret that you conceal, the secret that breathes life into this glorious sound." _The song continued to echo throughout the yard with each key played. Not a single note was wasted.

Sadly just as he was prepared to reach the climax of his song…

"ALRIGHT RAGNAROK! I'M HERE, NOW TELL ME WHERE NIJIMA IS!"

The interruption caused Siegfried to lose his focus and strike the wrong keys, thus ruining the song. Siegfried's face turned incredibly cold at this. "My beautiful song, the melody of Fenrir's hidden emotions – disrupted."

The composed quickly glared out the windows where the voice had come from. "I will make whoever is responsible for this pay dearly." With that he rushed out the room, determined to inflict suffering on the one who broke his melody.

(Scene change: [Sorry but I am mainly skipping this part because it pretty much follows canon and I want to get to the point, so sorry if this pisses you off])

Fenrir was currently making his way back to the docks on foot, having been forced to leave to pick up his shift at Gekirin. Naturally Renka had demanded to know where he had been, to which he simply had replied 'nowhere or significance'.

This resulted in her spending the rest of the day hounding him for answers while he did his best to avoid questioning. Once his shift was over, he quickly left before Renka had a chance to give chase. Though he did feel a bit lousy about not telling her the truth.

"I know I shouldn't be lying to Renka, especially considering how nice she's been to me since I got here. But if she found out what I'm doing, well, who knows how she'd react." It was a conflict that he knew he would have to resolve at some point, especially with Renka wanting to become so involved in his life.

However, his current mental conflict was interrupted by the sight of Loki approaching fast on a motor scooter. Naturally the Ninth Fist quickly waved him over. "Loki, what are you doing here, it's not even Midnight yet."

Surprisingly the Fourth Fist wasn't wearing his trademark grin. Instead had a serious look on his face. "Sorry Fenrir, the truth is that that punk Shirahama did show up. Unfortunately he pissed Siegfried off and got challenged to a fight. Then Sieg wouldn't even let me help him out and told me to leave. He's probably still there, fighting him and that punk's girlfriend. I'm not sure if he can take…."

Loki quickly noticed that the person he had been talking to was already gone, having picked up speed in the direction of the docks. Slowly Loki's evil grin grew to the point of nearly tearing his face as he kicked his scooter back into gear. "Now the wolf's been released. Let's see how Shirahama survives his second encounter with Fenrir, heheheheh!" The Fourth Fist continued to chuckle as he disappeared into the darkness, laughing at his own plan.

Fenrir was now running with urgency in his pace as he made off like a bullet toward the docks, ready to back up Siegfried. "Damnit Sieg, you better not do anything stupid before I get there."

While Fenrir, knew that the Fifth Fist could easily take down Shirahama, he'd also learned that the spineless disciple had a way of turning impossible situations around in his favor. He only hoped this wouldn't be one of those situations.

He quickly rushed through the entrance and made his way towards the docks before turning at the corner of a warehouse to the hideout. Just as he turned around the corner he caught sight of Siegfried standing in front of Kenichi with his arms spread wide. Shirahama on the other hand was less than three inches away, gearing up to punch the Fifth Fist.

Most fighters would have looked and would have seen a simple punch, but Fenrir already knew what the kid was planning to do, but he was too late to warn his comrade. In an instant Kenichi unleashed a ferocious punch, hitting the Fifth Fist with what could be described as a sort of shockwave punch.

Whatever you might call it, Siegfried barely managed to complement his enemy before falling backwards. Naturally Kenichi panicked at what he had done, not knowing that the punch he used had almost killed his opponent. "I'm so sorry, come on man, get up!"

Miu quickly got to the Fist side and did a quick examination. "Kenichi, you should have been more careful. That punch of yours almost killed him. Thankfully he should be fine, but that was way too close."

Kenichi quickly breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, for a moment I thought I killed that guy."

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Shirahama, especially in this situation." Kenichi's blood quickly ran cold as he turned around, only to find the one person in Ragnarok he wanted to avoid.

"Fenrir."

Miu quickly turned her attention to hooded visage of the now identified Fenrir as well, who was currently leaking KI in large amounts, all towards Kenichi.

Both fighters stood in place as the Ninth Fist slowly made his way towards them, anger obvious in his movement. Kenichi started to shake in fear, feeling the cold eyes of his enemy peering into his very soul.

The hooded fighter stopped roughly ten feet away from Kenichi before looking down at Siegfried. "It seems I wasn't very clear in my warning the last time we met. I thought I told you that if you ever crossed Ragnarok again I would make you pay dearly. Now you've nearly killed one of my comrades..." Fenrir's hands started to clench in intense anger, causing Kenichi to take a step back and cringe.

Fenrir slowly took a breath and unclenched his fists before raising his head so his cold blue eyes could meet Kenichi with a look that promised pain. "I warned you Shirahama, now I am through playing nice with you. This time I don't intend to let you walk away with a few bruised ribs, no, this time around I'm going to shatter your bones like GLASS!" The last part he roared in anger before leaping into the air, flipping forward to unleash a fierce axe kick.

Kenichi could only lie in wait, paralyzed by fear. Even after fighting the Fifth Fist and winning, there was just something about Fenrir that caused him to freeze up. As Fenrir's kick came close, Kenichi closed his eyes in wait, only for a sound of collision to cause his eyes to open and then widen in shock.

There in front of him, blocking Fenrir's kick with both arms crossed was Miu. Kenichi was speechless while Fenrir was obviously angry. "Get out of my way!" The Ninth Fist spoke in a cold tone, only to be met with a similar cold look from the blonde.

"Not a chance pal."

Kenichi could only stand there and watch, trying to find the right words. "Uh Miu I uh.."

Before he could find the right words he was cut off by Miu. "KENICHI, LISTEN TO ME! YOU HAVE TO FIND NIJIMA BEFORE HIS SHIP LEAVES!"

The young disciple's eyes widened in shock at the request before he spoke up defiantly. "Are you crazy, I can't just leave you here!"

His words were quickly silenced as Miu turned and gave him a reassuring look. "Don't worry, I can handle this guy on my own, you go and save Nijima, alright?"

It took all of Kenichi's willpower not to object before turning around and heading in the direction of Nijima's ship. "GO GET HIM MIU!"

Once he was gone the two combatants separated, each preparing to continue all the while staring into each other's eyes. Fenrir spoke out first. "Miu Furinji, right? I've heard quite a bit about you. However, I'm not about to let you stand in my way so move or else you'll face the consequences."

Miu's eyes however were defiant as she got into her fighting stance. "Sorry, but there's no way I'm moving for you. You hurt Kenichi really bad and I'm gonna make you pay for it!"

Fenrir actually chuckled a little at the remark. "Is that so? Well then… LET'S SEE YOU TRY IT!"

At that point the two fighters charged, ready to clash. Interestingly enough was that if one had been to take a close enough look they would have made out the outline of what appeared to be the images of a wolf and crane about to clash.

***Ninth Fist End***

_Wow, long chapter there but it's finally done. First off sorry it took so long but I have a million things to deal with and they held me back, but I'm still gonna do my best to keep this and my other stories alive. Now I hope you guys are eager cause this is the start of something I know you've all been waiting for, __**NARUTO VS MIU. **__That's right the fight everyone's been asking about, who will win, well you'll just have to wait and find out. Just be patient and it will come soon or will it? Who's to say, maybe I'm just being evil, (Insert Evil laugh). Regardless, you can be sure it will royally kick ass so remember to review as I plan to take this story as far as possible so till next time later._

_**Things to Address(**__The stuff you'll probably ask the most about and need elaboration on)_

_**Naruto's hatred for Kenichi**__- Okay first off this isn't a Kenichi bash story even If I want to bash him it's not. The reason I have Naruto hate Kenichi is simply because of the environment he was raised in. Think about it where Naruto was growing up running from fights, Not hitting women for chivalry and abandoning your friends would get you killed and were pretty much taboo. Plus originally Naruto just didn't like Kenichi the fact he actually thought of abandoning his friends just cause he didn't want to fight however breaks pretty much Naruto's most scared of laws, "Never Betray you friends," especially considering the hell he went through to make friends to begin with. So seeing this guy pull that crap would definetly be grounds for hatred so don't rant about it._

_**The Song Siegfried plays**__- this part was simply because its part of Siegfrieds character. He's the kind of guy who can learn a lot about a persons personality and emotions by fighting them, so I figurde if he fought Naruto he could see the deep emotions he keeps buried inside. In a sense Naruto despite appearances and having come to enjoy his new life can't let go of the pain of being forced to leave his home and everything he knew. So I figured this would be a good way for Naruto be on better terms with one of the fists, you know act more like a friend. Plus Siegfried seemed like the easiest fist to get along with. _

_**Kenichi's development**__- Now as you can guess Kenichi is slightly different in this story then canon, mainly because unlike the other fists Naruto actually points out his defects and flaws in a way that actually makes Kenichi think more about himself. Namely he would run away from fights and have to be forced into combat or have someone held hostage to be motivated. With Naruto he actually thinks about how he's been acting in a more indepth sense, mainly concerning how he always runs away. So I guess you could say Naruto will end up making Kenichi have more desire to become stronger and give him a serious reason to improve. _

_**Capoeria Moves list **__(Note: these are actual Capoeira moves, I am not making them up.)_

_**Chapa Giratorio- **__From ginga position you rotate your body turning backward while unleashing a powerful side kick with your back leg._

_**Chapa de Costas- **__similar to the Chapa Giratorio only you perform this technique with both hands on the ground with one leg for support while firing a straight kick with your other leg_

-**Omake -**

**Title: **Return of the Fangirls

It was a clear day as Freya and her own disciples, the Valkyries, made their way towards the Tanimoto mansion, though most of the group weren't very eager.

"Seriously Freya, why are we even going to this place?" One of the Valkyries asked in discomfort. Freya simply sighed, having already told them previously why.

"Because Fenrir agreed to spar with me and it will be some good experience for you to watch a fight between two of the Deadly Fists."

The others however were not convinced. "Seriously Freya, I don't think this Fenrir guy sounds all that tough. I mean, he became a Fist right off the bat and was recommended by Loki, that doesn't exactly give the right message for his skills."

Freya however stopped for a moment before turning to the others with a serious expression that silenced them all. "Listen up. I won't have you questioning our judgment in who we make one the Fists. Furthermore I can assure you that Fenrir is very deserving of his rank, so I expect you to treat him with respect, understood?"

The entire group hesitantly nodded before making their way to the mansion. When they didn't find him in the front they figured he was in the back. Thus they slowly made their way forward.

"Fenrir, it's Freya I'm here for….." The Third Fist then suddenly stopped before dropping her bag and stuttering, her face suddenly red before turning away quickly.

The Valkyries gained curious looks while observing their leader. "Hey Freya what's the matter, what were you stariiiiiiiing…?" The rest of the group quickly dropped their jaws at the sight in front of them with only one thought in all their minds.

"_HOT!"_

All had their eyes glued to Fenrir, who was currently shirtless and balancing himself on one of the training posts. The girls' eyes traced over every muscle of his body, growing more and more red-faced at the sight. Some even started to bleed at the nose.

Fenrir however quickly stopped, his eyes still closed. _"I sense a disturbance… and strangely enough… lust?" _He quickly pushed himself up and turned with his eyes open, only to become panicked at the sight before him. _"Oh Shit!"_

All the Valkyries were looking at the blonde with hungry looks on their faces, causing the usually stoic fist to sweat from fear as opposed to sweat from the exercise. He didn't have time to react before they descended on him like a swarm of wasps, his last thought being _"Why me?"_


	8. Chapter 8

Yo Everyone Agurra of the Darkness back again with the newest installment of The Ninth Fist. First off I would like to say I'm sorry this took so long but school has been a pain so I've had to push something's back but still managed to finish this off. Second I am disappointed with how things turned out with **Oracion Eight.** I didn't get many reviews and some were simple criticism at my use of an OC well to that I say, "This is Fanfiction, it's my story and if I want to include an oc I will and if you don't like then leave, but this is my story and I'll write it however I damn well please." Sorry but people constantly complain about how OCs are bad and it pisses me off cause personally I enjoy adding my own things to the series but I digress. Anyway with that out of the way now we'll get to see the moment you've all been waiting for **NARUTO VS MIU.** The ultimate clash who will win. Well you'll just have to wait and see."

Now without further adue LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!

Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness does not own Kenichi or Naruto in any way shape or form. God knows I want to

***Ninth Fist Start***

(Unknown Location)

It was night as the owner of a familiar pair of teal colored eyes gazed up at the stars from the comfort of his boat. The man in question didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a strange feeling that made him look up at the sky.

His gaze slowly drifted downwards till his eyes were facing in the direction where not too long ago the man had to bid adieu to his newly found disciple. Despite having so much more he wanted to teach him, the man knew that there were certain obstacles that his blond disciple had to face on his own.

Although it hadn't made it any easier to let him go. As he sighed whilst scratching his head he said to himself. _"_I figured Naruto would run into trouble at some point, but this… It's bad enough he had to go and pick a fight with Sougetsu."

As expected the drunken master had soon returned to the Yami headquarters and had went to Sol, telling him of his encounter with his protégé. Naturally when the Capoeira master found out what transpired he had quickly responded with a kick that had sent the Kempo master flying.

He then had to be restrained to keep himself from killing said master before finding out all the details. Naturally Sol was still angry, both at Sougetsu for almost killing his disciple and Naruto for doing something so stupid. However, he also felt great pride knowing that the blonde had been able to fend off Sougetsu for some time.

As expected it gained the attention of the other masters, especially the Fist of Shadow who was particularly eager to meet the mysterious disciple. Now however Sol felt a feeling of slight uneasiness and knew it was connected to his disciple. It obvious meant he got himself into a serious fight, but something about the feeling felt almost familiar to him, something he had felt once before. This worried him but knew he couldn't help his disciple and only hope.

The Sun master turned once more to shores of Japan which were far from his sight. "Be careful Naruto, it's time for you to put your skills to the test."

(Scene Change, Docks)

All was silent to the point where one could hear the sound of fleeing rats in the nearby warehouses. However, that sound was ignored as the two fighters stared each other down with cold looks in their eyes.

Both were frozen, not taking their eyes off the other for an instant, waiting for the other to make the first move. The Ninth Fist remained tense, waiting for his enemy to make a move. "_Gotta stay on my guard, this girl isn't like that punk Kenichi. I can tell just by looking at her that if I'm not careful who knows what might happen."_

As to be expected Fenrir wanted nothing more than to plow right through the blonde before him and get to Kenichi. Sadly that wasn't an option as he was quickly able to deduce that she was a very skilled fighter. Beyond that he knew very little about this girl, Miu Furinji, other than what he had been told.

Suffice to say it wasn't good, namely that this girl had beaten many of Ragnarok's members without getting as much as a scratch. What was especially surprising was that she had even defeated Valkyrie without any effort. On top of that Fenrir could tell by both her build and stance that she was highly skilled and not someone to underestimate.

Thus he had been holding his ground, just waiting for her to make her move while she did the same to him, resulting in the standoff they were now engaged in. It appeared though that the girl was having similar thoughts; as she had been hesitant to attack so far as well.

Fenrir eventually decided to break the ice. "I'm going to ask you one more time, get out of my way or else I will have to move you." All the while he remained defensive, ready for the slightest movement of his opponent.

As he waited for a response the Fist's eyebrows raised slightly at the sight of a smirk on his opponent's face before she actually chuckled a bit. As expected this got the Ninth Fist slightly annoyed.

"Just what pray tell is so funny."

His opponent merely looked at him with a confident and somewhat cocky look on her face. "Oh it's just funny that you think you can beat me." After that the girl's face hardened and became cold again. "More so that you think I will let you go after Kenichi, especially after how badly you hurt him the last time." After that the girl tightened her stance, gearing up to advance.

"The only way you'll get to Kenichi is over my dead body."

Naruto sighed slightly in annoyance at the girl's defiance. "Well, if that's the way you feel then I guess I have no choice." The two paused for a moment before Fenrir advanced, performing a cartwheel to close the distance before flipping forward. Once he was close enough the Ninth Fist leaned forward onto his hands, striking at Miu with his left leg.

The young teen quickly leaned back to avoid the attack before leaping backwards into the air to avoid a low spin kick from Fenrir's left leg. While in mid air Miu quickly rotated her body sideways to counter with a kick of her own, which Fenrir quickly avoided with a spin flip to the side.

Miu quickly landed and pressed on her attack at her hooded adversary, getting right up at him and rocketing her fist towards him. However, before it could reach him her fist quickly met with the bottom of Fenrir's left foot. He was still on his hands and used his right leg to support his left while looking at her with a determined face.

Both fighters pushed forward, trying to overpower the other which resulted in a brief stalemate. But it only lasted for a moment. In the next instant the two quickly pushed themselves apart. Fenrir quickly flipped backwards to get to on his feet before charging forward, Miu naturally following by pulling her fist back.

Fenrir quickly drew back his left leg back before unleashing a ferocious barrage of simultaneous kicks at his female adversary. However, said blonde saw the attack coming and with a yell of determination matched his kicks with her own rain of punches.

Anyone watching would have been shocked at the sight of two teenagers currently clashing high-speed kicks and punches at speeds that didn't seem humanly possible. With each contact, a small bang rang out that almost like gunfire while releasing a small shockwave. It was quite a sight.

Though neither fighter could gain an edge, with each attack being matched blow for blow, both were on even ground. Thus Fenrir quickly chose to change his attack as he blocked Miu's last punch before spinning to narrowly avoid her next one before unleashing a powerful spinning back kick.

Miu's eyes actually widened for a brief instance as the kick quickly came towards her. However, Fenrir's eyes narrowed just as soon as he was about to make contact.

(Crash)

All became silent. Fenrir simply held his breath, though he was obviously frustrated while his opponent seemingly eased herself. Both stood perfectly balanced with Fenrir's left leg extended and crossed with Miu's right leg, reminiscent of two katana fighting for control.

The resulting block surprised the Ninth Fist slightly, especially at the girl's reaction time and reflexes. "_She's definitely better than I gave her credit for. I figured she could block my __**Chapas**__ but most people wouldn't have been able to block my __**Chapa Giratorio**__ at such close range and so quickly. Her reflexes and reaction time are incredible, easily better than anything I've seen except from Masters. Looks like I'm going to have to start getting serious if I want to beat this girl."_

After another moment the two fighters quickly pushed themselves backwards a few feet. Miu was actually surprised with Fenrir's speed. "_Have to say, he's definitely not bad, his reaction time is pretty good and his kicks have serious power behind them. If I hadn't blocked that last kick of his I'd be in some serious trouble. Better keep my guard up."_

Fenrir slowly started to shift himself back into Ginga, getting his rhythm back all the while never taking his eyes of his opponent. "I must say, you're very skilled and I'm rather impressed. You obvious take your Martial Arts training seriously." Though both were enemies the comment didn't contain any hints of sarcasm.

It actually managed to get a smirk out of Miu. "I'd say the same about you, you're definitely better than the other Ragnarok members I've met so far, though it's a pity you're wasting those skills by joining a gang of thugs." At that comment Miu quickly jumped backwards to avoid a vicious Bencano to the jaw.

Her eyes narrowed as she regained her focus on Fenrir. _"That was close, he almost got me this time. I didn't expect him to move so fast."_

Fenrir however clearly wasn't amused by her last comment as he readjusted himself back to Ginga. "Listen girl, say what you want about me, but don't think I'll stand here and listen to your cracks about my comrades." His voice contained deep seriousness and authority that actually surprised Miu.

She wasn't going to let it distract her though as she slowly dropped back into her stance. Fenrir however obviously wasn't going to wait as he shifted forward towards her before once again dropping to his hands, unleashing a powerful spin kick afterwards. Naturally Miu dodged it only to narrowly avoid a second kick. However, Fenrir didn't stop spinning and quickly released a high speed Armada which Miu once again dodged, but due to the speed of the attacks lost her footing.

"_Gotcha!"_ Fenrir quickly spun one last time before leaping into the air and smashing his right leg into Miu's right cheek before following with a second kick from his left leg. The attack sent the girl flying right into a pile of crates.

Fenrir simply landed on his feet before saying "**Parafuso."**

He then turned his attention to the pile of now broken crates. "You might as well get up, I know it's gonna take more than that to keep you - "

(Smash)

The Ninth Fists eyes would have widened if it weren't for the fact that they were currently being blocked by the fist of his previously downed opponent, who was now on the offensive. Though the punch itself wasn't too painful the disoriented Capoeira fighter wasn't able to stop the roundhouse kick to the stomach that sent him flying several feet.

His opponent simply watched him fly, her cheek still red from the kick. "Now we're even pal." Thankfully Fenrir quickly regained his sense and managed to flip himself backwards before landing on his feet.

The Ninth Fist slowly regained his composure while wiping away some of the blood now falling down his nose. "Huh, you know what, I take back what I said earlier. You're not good, no, you are extremely good." Though his mind was obviously speaking a different notion. _"Okay I managed to hit her then two seconds later she sends me flying. I know that kick shouldn't have laid her out but to recover so fast..."_

His gaze slowly focused on his opponent who was obviously eager to continue while the Ninth Fist slowly cracked his neck. _"I guess I should stop playing around with her and get serious."_

With that notion he once again started in the Ginga position while looking at his opponent. "I have to admit, you're a worthy opponent, but now it's time we got serious. As of right now the kid gloves are off!"

Miu's could only offer a small nod. "I couldn't agree more."

With that one word the two charged at each other at incredible speed, Fenrir unleashing a fierce Chapa kick while Miu counter with a roundhouse. Both attacks collided with immense force, creating a shockwave that knocked away a number of crates and debris.

The real fight was on

(Scene Change, Ryozanpaku)

Hayato Furinji was currently peacefully sitting in the living room with the other master while enjoying a cup of tea. He was musing over his thoughts while taking a sip of the tea before turning to the window. "Say, how do you think Kenichi has been progressing so far? He's been with us for a while."

Sakaki was currently sipping his sixth beer while he thought things up. "Well, he's made progress, but truth be told the kids got a long way to go before he can be considered dangerous." The karate master chuckled at his own comment while finishing his beer.

"While I do agree that Kenichi hasn't become a master, for someone who lacks any natural talent he's done fairly well." Kensei added whilst his face was again buried in another of his rather racy magazines.

Shigure and Apachai didn't seem too interested in the conversation with Shigure staring at her sword and Apachai…. staring at a wall.

Akisame however, who was currently working on his calligraphy, seemed rather composed, despite the slight tension all of them were feeling. "All we can do is wait for our disciple to return. That's our duty as masters." He then placed his pen down.

Hayato simply smiled at the group. "Don't worry too much, after all Kenichi has Miu with him. I'm sure she'll keep him from getting into too much trouble." That seemed to ease the tension as the jolly master lifted his cup to take another sip.

(Crack)

Eyes widened and turned to the master who was currently staring at his cup. A long jagged crack now reached from top to bottom on it. This seemingly meaningless act brought the tension back in full force, even getting Shigure and Apachai's attention. However, none was tenser than the Elder who still staring at the cup with an uneasy feeling.

"Elder, what is it?" Kensei asked, his magazine on the ground and closed.

Hayato merely sat there for a moment before turning around with a surprisingly grave expression on his face, one the other masters had rarely seen. "This cup, Miu made it for me when she was eight years old." The master quickly flashed back to the time when his granddaughter had handed him the cup.

All eyes slowly shifted to the window in the direction the two children had gone. The elder's eyes however hadn't left the rather ominous crack that was now present on his granddaughter's cup.

"_I feel a chill in the air and an ill wind blowing. Whatever is going on, I hope that Miu is alright."_

(Scene Change the fight)

Fenrir growled in aggravation as he flipped forward to deliver a flying axe kick, only for the kick to miss its target. "Stop jumping around and hold still!" Sadly his words fell on deaf ears as his enemy continued to float through the air with unbelievable grace.

She quickly landed a few feet away before pulling down her left eyelid and sticking out her tongue. "Make me!" The mocking tone in her voice only served to further aggravate the Ninth Fist.

After their brief moment of contact the two had been trading blows for a time before his opponent decided for a change in tactic. All of a sudden she stopped attacking directly and now shifted to dodging his attack while floating gracefully in the air before releasing her counterattacks.

No matter how many attacks he released, the girl just kept managing to avoid them and it was really starting to infuriate the blonde Capoeira fighter. It also didn't help that the girl seemed to get cockier by the minute with this little power shift.

"What's the matter, angry that your fancy dance moves can't hit me?" That really got Naruto angry. It even got him to the point where he burst forward with some serious speed. Miu quickly tried to counter with a kick only for her opponent to actually seat himself on the ground with one leg out and his left hand on the ground. He then shifted himself onto his left hand before rotating his body with his left leg sideways to hit the girl who leapt up to avoid the attack. However, she wasn't able to block the second kick from his much higher right leg, which smashed into her side sending her flying.

"**Chapeu de Couro."**

Fenrir quickly finished his spin before standing back up glaring at the girl with his cold blue eyes. "Don't you dare disrespect my style! Capoeira is not just some fancy dance, it's a martial art style that my master spent years perfecting before teaching it to me!" His cold eyes then softened slightly. "I owe my master a debt I can never repay. He helped me in more ways than one and I won't let anyone disrespect the style he and I have chosen to practice."

Miu, having stopped herself from falling onto the ground, quickly flipped herself backwards to regain her footing. _"Okay, that hurt. I need to think of something quick, it's getting harder to dodge this guy's attacks."_ At that moment a light bulb went on in the blondes head. _"Right, if I remember correctly Grandpa told me of a way to deal with an opponent who uses Capoeira once!"_ Though at that moment said light bulb quickly went dead.

Miu quickly paled. _"Crap I can't remember what he said!" _The girl suddenly went to a nearby pole and actually smacked her head against it. "Stupid, Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!"

Fenrir could only sweat drop at the sight of his once formidable opponent now injuring herself. _"Okay, weird, but still gives me a chance _to_ think of a way to keep her from floating away from my attacks." _The Fist then looked at some of the remaining crates before getting a sinister grin on his face.

Without a second thought the Ninth Fist quickly leapt over to the crates before turning his attention to the now disoriented girl who muttering some crazy nonsense.

"Oh look at all the kitties, so cute, hehehehe."

Again the Capoeira user sweat dropped at her stupidity before regaining his serious face. Taking one last look at the crates the Fist quickly dropped into a handstand in between the middle of the crates. "Alright Furinji, let's see you glide your way out of this!" He quickly started to rotate his body all the while kicking each crate, smashing each one while at the same time sending hundreds of high-speed wooden shards at his enemy.

Miu, having regained herself from the call, quickly took note of the deadly spears heading her way, her eyes widening. "There's no way I can dodge all of them, only one option left!" The girl then took a deep breath, closed her eyes and assumed her stance by pulling her right arm back.

Her opponent, despite continuing his assault, managed to keep his focus on her. "_Okay, what's she up too now?"_

At that instance her eyes shot open before calling out **"Rittoku No Kan!"** (1/10th of a Moment's Sense)

In less than a second after that call, the girl's arms became virtually invisible, while all the wooden shards were suddenly obliterated with the girls right arm now extended outward. The entire ordeal only last for a fraction of a second, but Fenrir could only watch in stunned silence. _"How did she, I don't believe it, she destroyed everyone one of those shards in less than a second!"_

Miu slowly pulled her arm back and took a calming breath before looking at her obviously shocked opponent. With a slight smirk she spoke. "Humph, almost had me there, too bad I was prepared."

Naturally the Ninth Fist quickly shook himself out of his shock, lightly growling at the girl's arrogant tone, but held himself back out of the desire to satisfy his curiosity. "Alright, just what the hell was that, no way that's some ordinary Martial Arts technique, how in the world were you able to destroy all those piece of wood in that amount of time?"

The girl didn't answer at first, not exactly wanting to share her secrets but eventually choose to enlighten him. "I used a technique called _Rittoku No Kan. _It's a technique where I increase my five senses to their absolute limit, this allows me to see and react to things that would be considered invisible to the normal eye." With that she quickly gained a confident smirk. "While that moment may have seemed like a second to you, to me it looked like those shards were coming towards me in slow motion."

Fenrir seemed shook up at the revelation, though also rather intrigued at the prospect of such a technique. "That's one hell a technique. I'm curious though, I'm fairly sure you didn't pick something like that up on your own. Who's your master?"

Miu however simply dropped back into her fighting stance. "Sorry, but I'm afraid that's none of your business." Her smirk was still present though it was slowly becoming slightly more sinister. "It's been fun playing with you but I'm afraid I'm going to have to end this fight."

That comment got Fenrir's blood boiling slightly. "End this? You get one lucky break and you think you've won? I think it's time someone knocked you down a few pegs!" Fenrir then slowly got into his Ginga stance, ready to attack when all of sudden his opponent was gone.

His eyes darted around to find her. _"Where'd she go?" _Sadly he quickly got his answer.

"I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Eyes widened before darting below him just in time to watch his blond opponent sweep both of his legs out from under him. "Crap" was all he managed to get out before the girl sent him upward with a hard kick to the back.

Fenrir coughed violently from the force as he quickly gained altitude. He barely managed to open his eyes, searching for the girl. "Damn it, where is she now?"

"IT'S OVER!"

Reacting quickly the Ninth Fists eyes rose to the sky to see his opponent now high above him and smiling at him. "Not so tough when you're not on the ground, huh?"

Fenrir growled angrily at her. "Damn you, you arrogant bitch!" However, he quickly lost his defiant attitude as he watched the girl lift her right leg all the way till it was touching her face while positioning her other leg over his body. Once she was ready the girl started to rotate her body rapidly as she made her descent.

"**FUURINJI KOUHOU YOKU"**

Her speed continued to grow and as she grew closer to Fenrir the masked teen could only manage to say "Oh Shit."

The girl's foot plowed into the Ninth Fist like a missile, causing him to violently cough up blood that actually shot right through his facemask while he felt the bones in his chest howl in agony and start to crack before he slammed right into the concrete, leaving a rather large crater.

Miu however, quickly lowered her leg before falling roughly ten feet away from the hole. With a sigh of relief she quickly loosened her right leg out. "Man, that was close. That guy was so good I almost didn't hold back at the end." Her eyes then turned towards the crater, smoke and dust still rising up.

"Still, that was really close. If I hadn't remembered Grandpa's advice who knows how that would have turned out." The girl thought back to her Grandfathers words.

_(Flashback, Eight years ago)_

_Hayato and Miu were currently in a small village in Brazil with the elder sitting in the shadow of a tree calmly sipping tea while Miu was admiring a pair of Capoeira practitioners. Her eyes were glued to the spot, watching every move with great fascination._

_Hayato could only chuckle at his granddaughters antics. "So, you like Capoeira, Miu?" The young blonde quickly turned to her Grandfather, shaking her head up and down with enthusiasm. "Yeah, they move so fast and look so cool! It looks unbeatable."_

_At that moment Hayato shook his finger, indicating she was wrong. "Oh no Miu, Capoeira is a powerful fighting style but even Capoeira has its flaws."_

_Miu quickly adopted a curious look. "Really? Like what Grandpa?"_

_Hayato adopted a serious look. "Alright Miu, listen up. Should you ever face a Capoeira fighter keep this in mind…"_

_(Flashback End)_

"Capoeira's an effective style on the ground, however, it relies on constant movement. Once I knocked you off balance and sent you into the air your technique became useless. That's why you lost." Miu stared for another moment at the crater before turning her back to go find Kenichi. She made it about three feet before…

"**DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!"**

Her eyes widened as she quickly turned around. "_That's impossible, how could he be still conscious?" _But it was true. In the middle of the crater stood no one but Fenrir. He looked pretty banged up however. His signature shirt had a rather nasty looking mark dead center where the wolf used to be, the rest of his cloths had rips, dirt marks and bloodstains while Fenrir's mask had a small hold in the middle with blood leaking out of it.

Yet his eyes still held that cold defiant look that showed he wasn't ready to call it quits just yet as he slowly made his way out of the crater.

Miu quickly frowned at his defiance before turning to face him again. "Haven't you had enough already? I can tell that you took plenty of damage from that attack and I already know how to counter your technique, so you should just give up."

Naturally she expected the injured fighter to take a hint and give up. What she wasn't expecting was for him to end up chuckling instead, till eventually it became full-blown laughter.

In the midst of his laugh the Ninth Fist spoke. "Give up, give up, give up. Listen lady, I don't know the meaning of the words _give up._ The only way you'll win this fight is if I'm laid out flat." His humor then left him. "However, I'm afraid that's not gonna happen cause I'm ending this now." The Fist then slowly reached into the left pocket of his jacket.

Miu slowly geared herself for whatever the Fist had in mind though keeping her calm. "_Don't panic, the guy is on his last leg plus I already know how to defuse his fighting style. Whatever he's planning, it won't help him."_

Her calmness quickly turned to confusion as she saw him produce a small portable music player and speaker. The Fist then quickly looked through the player's list before setting it down with the speaker and pressing play.

_(Insert Paranaue, actual Capoeira Music)_

Miu could only watch in mild confusion as her opponent started again in the Ginga stance while moving to the music. At first glance it didn't appear any different to before, which left her wondering what the point of this action was. "_What is he doing? I know Capoeira is supposed to be like a dance form but I don't understand the…"_

Her train of thought was quickly derailed as she just narrowly avoided a high-speed kick to the face from her opponent who still moving to the rhythm of the music. Miu's eyes widened at his increased speed as she tried to defend herself. _"How is he - ?"_

Once again her thoughts were halted, unfortunately this time by an actual contact as both of her opponents feet collided with her face, Fenrir supporting himself on one hand, his body sideways and both legs flat over his side with his other arm in between. In less than two seconds he was back on his feet before bringing his right knee into the girl's stomach.

Spit and blood flew out of the girls mouth upon impact as she clutched her injured abdomen while slowly taking a few steps back, weakly opening her eye at her opponent now standing stationary.

Too injured from her wounds she couldn't make out a response, though Fenrir chose to fill in the blanks. "Confused how I suddenly got faster? To answer your unasked question, all you have to do is listen to the music."

Due to the attacks Miu had lost focus on the music that had been playing, however, now that it had been brought to her attention she noticed that it was playing at a much faster beat than before.

Fenrir had quickly dropped into his Ginga stance, now moving much faster, easily matching his pace to that of the fast playing music. "Like you said, Capoeira is all about consistent movement. However, you must also remember that it was originally played to music. My master told me that in order to properly master Capoeira you must be able to match your movement's speed to that of any music you hear." As he spoke the music continued to increase its pace as did Fenrir, his legs now moving so fast they were starting to actually smoke.

Miu tried to regain her stance but was unable to and could only listen to the sound of Fenrir's voice and music. "My master was well aware of how someone could take advantage of Capoeira's need for consistent movement by knocking them off balance. So he simply learned how to make himself faster. This is his technique, "**Rítmico ****Engrenar****" **(Rhythmic Gear).

As he spoke he gained a slight smile on his face as he geared up to finish the battle. "I must say you're a very skilled fighter to force me to use this. So as a sign of respect I'll finish you with one of my master's signature techniques." His legs and body were now moving at a ridiculous speed until he burst forward right in front of his opponent who could only look in horror.

With a grin Fenrir quickly took his front foot and rotated it with his hips while dragging his heeling on the ground before pulling it back and then flipping forward, landing on his right foot and bringing his now smoking heel down on his enemy. "**Perna de Sol Deus****!"** (Leg of the Sun God).

The instant it made contact Miu let out a fierce scream of pain as she felt the attack literally burn into her flesh. The feeling was reminiscent to having a hot iron shoved into your skin, it was that hot.

However, the attack was not complete as Fenrir quickly slid his still scorching heel off of his victim's abdomen before spinning on the ball of his foot before bring his leg up and smashing his now flat foot into his enemies abdomen. The attack knocked out what little oxygen was left in her body before she was rocketed into the wall of a nearby warehouse into which she crashed with incredible force.

As to be expected the impact left a massive crater roughly a foot deep in the stonewall. Cracks surrounded the now defeated girl whose eyes were barely open, her abdomen badly burned from the kick. After a moment she slowly fell from the wall coughing up a small amount of blood before losing consciousness as she met the ground.

Fenrir slowly lowered his still cooling foot to the ground before taking a calming breath. He then looked at his downed opponent. With a slight sigh he simply said. "You lose."

After a brief pause Fenrir slowly turned around, ignoring the pain in his abdomen from the girl's last attack while making his way over to the downed Siegfried. "Damn it, I wasn't expecting to have to break out that attack so soon. My foot feels like I stuck it in a firing barrel. Still, not bad for my first try, now I just gotta get Siegfried out of here."

"FENRIR YOU BASTARD!"

His eyes widened as the wounded Ninth Fist turned to see a furious Kenichi Shirahama flying towards him with his right Fist extended. Moving fast Fenrir quickly raised his unscorched foot to block the punch and held back the still angry disciple in front of him.

At that moment Fenrir quickly took note of Haruo Neijima who was currently making his way over to the downed girl. With a frown his attention returned to the enraged boy in front of him. "I see you finally found your buddy, good for you. I'm curious, how much of the fight did you see?"

Kenichi's anger only increased as he tried to overpower his opponent. "_Damn it, I'm pushing with all my strength but this guy won't budge! How can he still have this much power left after fighting Miu?"_

Unfortunately Fenrir quickly became annoyed at the boys pointless persistence. "As much as I would enjoy beating you into the ground, my friend over there comes first so..." With a slight cringe of pain Fenrir pushed himself up with his burned foot before rotating his hips and smashing his left foot into his enemies face. Kenichi had sadly been too focused on Fenrir to block it and was sent to the ground.

The Ninth Fist quickly flipped backwards and landed near Siegfired before placing the Fifth Fist's arm over his shoulder. He then turned to get away only to hear Kenichi's voice. "STOP! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY!"

Kenichi was once again on his feet glaring at the Fist with serious anger which only merited a sigh from the hooded fighter. "Listen Shirahama, I don't have time to play with you, right now I have to get Sieg here some medical attention which I would recommend you do for your girlfriend on the ground as well."

The once angry disciple's eyes quickly lost their fury before turning to the downed Miu who Neijima was currently trying to aid. Worry soon replaced anger as he clenched his fists. _"Damn it he's right, I have to hurry and get Miu back to Ryozanpaku now."_

Fenrir, seeing the boy's focus was off of him slowly turned and continued to walk away from the docks before pausing and turning his head to Kenichi. "A word of warning, Shirahama. If you want to blame anyone for the girl's injuries, blame yourself." That naturally caused Kenichi's anger to return though Fenrir obviously wasn't intimidated.

"Don't think you can scare me, Shirahama, this is what happens when you don't take your training seriously and end up weak. Your friends end up fighting for you and get hurt in the process. Maybe if you weren't so weak then the girl wouldn't have had to take the bullet for you." He then turned his back while Kenichi actually paused at his words, actually thinking over what he had said.

Fenrir then stopped one last time. "I warned you about what would happen if you meddled in our affairs again, Shirahama. As of right now you and your friends are Ragnarok's number one enemies. Pretty soon its gonna be open season on you and the Shinpaku Alliance, so unless you want to see more of your friends end up like Blondie I suggest you start taking your training seriously or watch everyone you care about get hurt protecting your sorry ass."

With those final words the two injured Fists disappeared into the night while Kenichi just stood there, actually shaking at Fenrir's words.

Neijima quickly ran over to Kenichi. "Look Kenichi, we'd better hurry and get Miu back to the dojo… Kenichi?" Seeing his _friend _not react the alien boy actually put his hand on the disciple's shoulder to shake him out of it. After about a moment he slowly turned to Neijima, making said boy actually look somewhat worried.

"You okay man?"

Kenichi didn't quite know how to respond before simply nodding his head to respond with a yes before making his way towards Miu, all the while thinking. _"Is this really my fault?"_

(Scene Change, Unknown District)

"Damn it, maybe I should have checked into the hospital after all."

The Ninth Fist swore slightly to himself as he slowly and painfully made his way home. After leaving the docks the injured but still mobile blonde had made his way to the nearest hospital before handing over his injured friend to the doctors. Once they informed him that Sieg would be okay after a few weeks the boy walked out.

Needless to say he now was mentally kicking himself for not having himself checked in, but his dislike of hospital was one part of his old self that still hadn't left him.

"I didn't expect that Miu girl to be so tough, damn, I may have won but I definitely need to be more careful next time." After a walking about two more blocks he paused briefly before leaning his battered body against a wall. "Just need to stop and rest for a moment."

He quickly pulled his hood down and removed his facemask, finding it progressively harder to breath with it on. Once done he slowly slid down the wall till he was seated on the ground feeling weaker as his injures kept draining his strength. "Man it's times like this that make me wish I still had my chakra, at least then I would heal a little faster. I wonder if I can even make it back to the house."

After another moment of recovery the boy slowly stood up again, grunting in pain as a result. "Well, don't have much of a choice so I better get moving while I still can." However, after taking a step forward he quickly cringed in pain before coughing up some more blood. The boy quickly clutched his chest as he fell into several garbage cans, knocking them aside before hitting the ground.

"Crap, that girls attack did more damage than I thought." Things only got worse as Naruto could now feel his consciousness slowly fading away from the combination of fatigue, blood loss and injury. As he slowly felt himself black out he heard a rather familiar voice shout out his name.

"Naruto!"

He barely managed to get a view of the figures shadow before darkness overtook him.

(Scene Change, Ryozanpaku)

There was an ill silence in the normally loud dojo as all the masters currently wore expressions of sorrow and anger on their faces. When the masters had heard Kenichi enter they were at first thrilled though said reaction was quickly lost when they saw the state Miu was in.

Almost immediately Akisame and Kensei took the battered girl from Kenichi to start working on her while the others tried to get the story straight from Kenichi. However, he didn't say a word, which almost led to the other masters getting forceful. Yet surprisingly it was Hayato who pulled them back, silently telling them to wait.

Once the others had calmed down they sat in silence, waiting for Akisame and Kensei to come out. Each one of the masters was currently carrying a different reaction. Sakaki was obvious angry, as he had a beer can in hand though he had already crushed it in his grip, spilling the contents on the ground. Shigure remained stoic though she kept flicking her sword in and out of its sheath while a rather unsettling aura encompassed her body. Apachai simply sat there with a very sad look on his face that was reminiscent of someone with a sick parent or friend. Kenichi's face oddly enough held a more sorrowful look that contained not only emotions of sadness but also guilt and grief.

The strangest of all however, was that of the elder who was currently sitting with his eyes shadowed and arms crossed. His normal smile was gone from his face though one couldn't tell if he was angry, sad or both.

After a moment of sitting in silence they quickly heard footsteps followed by the doors shifting open. Their eyes widened as they turned to see Kensei and Akisame with blank, somewhat grim looks on their faces.

Kenichi was quick to ask. "How is she?"

Kensei simply pulled his hat over his eyes in saddened fashion which didn't help Kenchi's expression as he now looked like he would enter a full blown depression. Thankfully Akisame intervened. "Don't worry Kenichi, Miu's gonna be fine. Thankfully her injuries weren't too bad, though the burn on her abdomen will take some time to heal. But at least is doesn't look like it will scar."

All those holding their breath quickly released it at the revelation, quickly easing the tension in the air. Kenichi actually smiled for a moment. "That's great, for a second there I was really worried."

Kensei however hadn't lost his grim expression. "Still, this isn't something we can ignore. This Fenrir fellow is obviously a much bigger threat than we originally thought."

Akisame nodded. "Yes considered he was actually able to beat Miu and do this much damage proves that he's a very formidable opponent." Sakaki actually started to show signs of anger, rising to his feet. "Well then, what are we waiting for? I say we find this punk and teach him a lesson right now!"

Shigure quickly pulled out her sword. "Yeah, let's go get him." Her expression was still stoic but her aura was murderous now.

However, the elder quickly raised his hand to get the others attention. "No we can't do that." This actually shocked the other masters, even Akisame and Kensei were a bit surprised.

"Are you kidding me old man, this guy laid out your granddaughter and you're telling me you aren't gonna do something about it?" Sakaki showed his surprise at the wise man's words.

However, Hayato's face remained blank before adopting a serious look. "Believe me I am just as upset as the rest of you are and would like nothing more than to take action. But it wouldn't be right, this isn't our fight to begin with and we shouldn't involve ourselves in these matters unless it is absolutely necessary."

Naturally Sakakai wanted to argue. "He's right, Master Sakaki."

All eyes quickly turned to Kenchi who was still seated with his eyes shadowed but his fists clenched and shaking in anger. "I'm the one that Ragnarok wants and I'm the one that got Miu involved in this mess in the first place." He then raised his head showing his defiant face. "This is my battle to fight, not yours Master."

Akisame and Kensei actually smiled at the boys change in attitude. _"Looks like our disciple's finally starting to get it."_

Kenichi slowly looked to the ground. "At the docks Fenrir told me that it was my fault that Miu got hurt. Now I realize he was right. I haven't been taking my training seriously enough and because of that Miu had to come in a save me. As a result she got hurt, because I was too weak to do anything about it, just like Renka and Naruto were against Sougetsu!"

As Kenichi spoke it was obvious he was trying to hold in the tears he wanted to shed for his friends and the guilt he felt for their injuries. It caused all the masters to look at him with some sorrow and sympathy. "I realized now that if I don't start taking this seriously then pretty soon all of my friends are going to end up like Miu is now." He slowly stood up quickly wiping away his tears before showing his determination and making his vow. "I won't let that happen, even if I have to take down all of Ragnarok, I promise to never be weak again!"

There was a pause in the air before Sakaki actually started to chuckle. "Well, that was quiet a speech there kid, I was really moved by it."

"Apapapapa, Kenichi, I'll help you get stronger, we train all day till you can knock down all your opponents APAPAPA!" The Muay Thai master shouted with enthusiasm.

Kensei gained a glint in his eye as did Akisame. "Well Kenichi, if you're serious about this then I hope you're prepared for the training we're going to put you through."

Shigure simply sat silently as she thought of the many ways she would torture, sorry, _train_ the now encouraged disciple.

However, Hayato was currently turning out the sounds of the others as he mused over a certain issue that had been plaguing his mind for quite some time now. _"From what Kenichi told me, Miu got that burn on her body from a super heated kick that this Fenrir boy delivered. From the sound of it he must have combined high-speed movement and friction to build up the necessary heat. However, I only know of one man who can perform a technique like that." _The elder's eyes slowly turned towards the night sky as he remembered a certain individual he had encountered many years ago. _"So this Fenrir boy is __**his **__disciple, huh? If so then we may be in for some serious trouble."_

(Scene Change, Unknown Location)

"O_h man… My head won't stop spinning. What happened?" _The previously injured Fist slowly recalled the past day's events before recalling the last occurrence before he had passed out. _"Right, I passed out in the alley, so why do I feel so warm?"_

The blonde boy slowly opened his blue eyes as he tried to focus on his surrounds. From what he could make out he was in a bed in a simple looking room. With some effort he tried to raise himself but couldn't due to a weight on his chest.

With a groan he slowly lowered his gaze. "What the heck is on me? It weighs a…." All words left him as his face slowly heated up. Why? Most likely due to the fact that his attractive co-worker and female friend Renka was currently asleep with her face and chest on his chest, her rather larger breasts pressing against his body.

Naruto could slowly feel his brain short-circuiting, trying to process the situation and unable to find the right words to process it. _"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON, WHY IS RENKA SLEEPING ON ME AND WHERE THE HELL AM I?"_

The boy's thoughts however were interrupted as the still sleeping girl shifted slightly while mumbling something incoherent. This action actually knocked Naruto's mind back in check as his gaze actually softened. _"Wow, Renka's pretty cute when she's asleep. Wait, where the heck did that come from? We're just friends. But she really _is_ cute…"_

After having a brief war with his mind the blonde quickly decided to pull his arm out of the covers before placing it on the sleeping girl's shoulder. "Renka, it's time to get up." With a light shake the girl started to stir. She slowly raised herself while rubbing her eyes a bit. "Oh, good morning Naruto."

Naturally it took her mind a moment to catch up with her eyes before she quickly jolted up. In less than in instant the girl like usual smashed her fist into the blonde's head meriting a serious yelp of pain.

"Ow! Geez Renka, what is it with you and hitting me when I'm injured?" Sadly Renka seemed to be especially irritable today.

"I'm sorry, but that's how I typically react when I find my friend lying unconscious in an alleyway looking like he just got back from some intercity gang war." Naruto's eyes quickly shot up as he recalled the last thing he heard before he passed out. "That was you?"

Renka turned her head to the side with a huff. "That's right, after I found you I had to drag your sorry butt ten blocks before we got back to Gekirin so Master Hakubi could check on you."

She then turned to Naruto with a serious look that Naruto hadn't seen on her before. "So, mind telling me what exactly happened?" As expected the blonde was hesitant to respond which only served to anger the girl further, causing her to stomp on the ground in anger.

"You aren't even going to tell me? I find you half dead on the ground and you expect me to just forget it?" She slowly gained a sorrowful look before diverting her eyes in an almost hurt fashion. "I don't understand you Naruto, all I want to do is help you but you won't let me. If we're really friends then let me help you."

Naruto was feeling really low right now. Truth be told, he wanted to tell Renka but knew he couldn't tell her he was in a gang or that he attacked her dad's disciple multiple times. Still he knew he couldn't just tell her nothing. So with a sigh he spoke. "I'm sorry Renka, you're right, I should tell you." He then took a breath while feeling guilty about what he was gonna say. _"Hope you'll forgive me at some point Renka."_

"The truth is, some of those Mafia creeps still in the area spotted me and ended up ambushing me. I managed to fight them off but I guess I got hurt worse than I thought. Sorry for not telling you." Renka didn't say anything before adopting a smile on her face. "Well, as long as you're okay, that's all that matters. Anyway, just remember you don't have to keep secrets from me. I'm here for you." She spoke those last words with a small amount of pink on her face.

This only served to hurt Naruto more inside, but he managed to hold it down while returning the sentiment to the girl. "Sure, thanks Renka. I'm glad to know I always have you to turn to." The statement caused Renka's face to heat up some more as she felt more awkward in the boy's presence.

The moment however was quickly shattered as Hakubi entered the room. "So Renka, is our favorite blonde awake yet or would you like to spend another hour or so with him?" This comment cause both teens faces to turn red. "What are you saying Master Hakubi I was just checking up on him!" The girl quickly looked at her obviously bare wrist and spoke. "Oh look at the time, better get to work!" The embarrassed teen quickly made her way to the door, though not before catching one last glance at Naruto.

With a chuckle the old master turned to the bandaged boy in bed. "Well I'm glad to see you're alright Naruto, I'm not sure what I would have done if something terrible had happened to you."

Naruto could only offer a smile in response as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that Master Hakubi, won't happen again, I promise." The master only continued to grin.

"That's good to hear, though for now I would recommend you stay in bed for another few hours. No need to exert yourself and cause more injuries. Just leave the work to us for now, alright?" After getting a nod from the boy Hakubi quickly turned and headed for the door. As he reached for the handle he paused, gaining a glint in his eye.

"By the way Naruto, you should know that after I treated you Renka stayed at your side all night. She wouldn't move a single inch." With a quick glance he saw the boys face turn bright red causing him to chuckle as he opened the door. "Just thought you should know."

With that he shut the door, leaving Naruto to muse over what he had just been told. Trying to keep his hormones in check the boy slowly laid his head back down on the pillow. "Might as well try and get some more sleep." As the boy slowly drifted off his mind solely focused on the information he had just received causing his face to turn slightly pink.

Though he still managed to gain a smile on his face for some reason he couldn't quite explain as he fell asleep with one last thought. _"I wonder if she'll be here when I wake up again…"_

***Ninth Fist End***

_Holly crap, that was LONG God still feels good to end it there. So there you have it the fight between Naruto and Miu has been decided. New revelations have also been brought to light as well. Question is what will happen now I wonder? Also keep in mind this is the first long fight scene I have written so if it was shorter then you expected I apologize for that but I'm new at this and I thought it turned out good. Still I hope this chapter was worth the wait and hype and you enjoyed it. Also sorry this took so long but I have had finals coming and projects, school has just been hell but managed to put some time aside for this so enjoy._

_**Things to Address **__(Stuff I know you'll ask about and need explained)_

_**Naruto's Victory over Miu-**__ Now I know we haven't been completely clear on Naruto's overall strength however, due to his extensive training as a ninja combined with his Martial Arts Training with Sol, that atleast makes him as tough as a YOMI member, plus Miu's actual strength was never established so I didn't know how to properly measure it. In the end the two were about even in strength with Naruto managing to gain the upper hand. I wanted to make the fight not appear one sided so I wouldn't make Naruto seem overpowered or too weak either. Felt that it should be a close fight._

_**Fenrir's words to Kenichi- **__Okay this isn't so much bashing as motivation. Fenrir mainly said those words to make Kenichi realize he has to step up his training. Miu made Kenichi leave because she knew he wasn't strong enough and had to fight Fenrir herself thus she took the beating meant for him. So Kenchi needs to realize that in order to keep what happened to Miu from occurring again he has to step up in his training. Think of it as painful Motivation._

_**Capoeira Weakness- **__Okay I'm not completely sure about this one but it seemed to make sense. Virtually all Capoeira moves require consistent movement and at least a part of the body to be on the ground. So I figured a way someone could beat it would be to send the person into the air so they would have a harder time moving._

_**Naruto x Renka- **__I would like to say this pairing will take time and I have a plan for the development however it won't be one of those instant relationships. No it will take time as Renka has a sort of crush on Naruto while he is just starting to consider to view Renka as more than a friend but will be hesitant at first due to his history with letting people get close. Will happen just take time._

_**Leg of the Sun God- **__Yes I know this technique sounds and even is similar to Sanji's __**Diable Jambe**__ technique but I personally thought it seemed like a pretty good technique to learn. Also Naruto doesn't actually light his foot on fire, more like super heats its. Just want to clear this up and have people say I just ripped the technique off cause its still different in some regards. _

_**Hayato's Revelation- **__Well I would say something but I'll leave it up to you to fill in the blanks._

_**Techniques**_

_**Chapa- **__a Basic roundhouse kick except from Ginga position, you take your back leg, bring it up cock back and then extend before going back to Ginga._

_**Chap Giratorio- **__Similar to a Chap kick only you instead of kicking straight out you turn your body in the direction you wish to kick before extending you back leg out flat._

_**Chapeu de Couro- **__a technique where you start in siting position with one leg fully extended outward will your other foot is place on the grow and your knee close to your chest. With your hand on the ground you push your self up with you planted foot before rotating your extended leg before planting it firming on the ground and swinging your other leg and planting your other hand on the ground and completing the kick._

_(Original Techniques, need to give Naruto some of his own tricks from Sol)_

_**Rítmico Engrenar, **__(Rhythmic Gear)- a technique where you train your body to be able to alter the speed of your movements to match the speed of different musical beats. The faster the music plays the faster your move. Similar to changing the gears on a car to increase speed._

_**Perna de Sol Deus, **__(Leg of the Sun God)- One of Sol's original techniques, works while using Rhythmic Gear. You basically move your back leg in front of you before rotating your leg while dragging your heel on the ground to build up friction. You also add speed by rotating on the ball of your other foot before leaping forward and bringing your now super heated heel down on your opponent like an axe kick. The added heat makes the kick not only more painful but harder to block due to the heat._

**-Omake-**

**Title: **Dancing to a Different Tune

Fenrir stared down at his opponent, finding it hard to stand but still refused to admit defeat. "Guess I have no choice, gonna have to bust it out."

Miu watched in curiosity as the Ninth Fist reached into his pocket before pulling out a music player. He then quickly selected a song before placing it on the ground.

Naturally the girl prepared herself for the worst, she was shocked howeverd to find Fenrir had now changed into a bright red jacket and pants with several gems imprinted on the back, though his hood and mask were still present.

Before she knew what was going on a bunch of other Ragnrok members popped up all over the place standing behind Fenrir. He turned to them. "Alright guys, you ready?"

A shout of "HELL YEAH!" rang out as the music started. All of a sudden the music started and the group suddenly broke out into surprisingly good choreographed dance moves all the while Fenrir seemingly lip-syncing himself through his mask to the music.

_It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark_

_Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart_

_You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it_

_You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes_

_You're paralyzed_

_'Cause this is thriller, thriller night_

_And no one's gonna save you from the beast about strike_

_You know it's thriller, thriller night_

_You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight_

As the words played Fenrir showed off his impressive dancing skills gradually drawing in a crowd who started cheering and taking pictures of the whole ordeal. Even Miu started to get into it.

He then slowly finished off his dance with a high speed spin before stopping as the crowd erupted into applause. All the present Ragnrok members started to cheer and congratulate each other. Fenrir naturally turned to them and spoke with an approving tone. "Nice work guys, we're well on our way to winning the dance contest next month. Not to mention with those moves you'll definitely get the attention of the ladies pretty soon."

That got some serious cheers out of the guys as they quickly watched several fan crazy girls surround them asking for autographs and even possible dates.

Oddly enough Takeda, Ukita and Kenichi all stared in shock as Ukita slowly took off his glasses. "Takeda, I think I'm starting to regret leaving Ragnarok right about now."

The young boxer could only nod. "Me too man, me too."

_Well I hope you guys enjoyed that, sorry but I felt that it would be pretty awesome if Naruto actually tried Dancing to Thriller and just had to give it a shot. So anyway Read and Review and I hope you guys have enjoy this latest installment. Remember to tune in next time for another addition of __**The Ninth Fist. **__Till the Agurra out._

_*This Was Beta read by Faroush__* _


	9. Chapter 9

_Yo everyone, Agurra here with the latest chapter. First off sorry this has taken so long, but had to finish my finals and then when I came home everything was a bit hectic for a time and left me little time to gather myself, but I will try to make up for it. Also If I offended anyone with my previous comment about OCs and people who reject them I apologize for that but it was something I felt I needed to address but if someone was offended I apologize. Well with that out of the way lets kick it._

**Disclaimer- Agurra of the Darkness does not own Naruto or Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple in any way. Not that I don't want to, if I did I would make the series more about Capoeria and give the style the respect it deserves but I guess I will have to wait.**

***Ninth Fist Start***

(Location Warehouse)

It was currently the middle of the night. Most of the area was silent all buildings being cleared out. However, one particular building was currently inhabited by a group who was less than thrilled of recent events.

The building itself was lit by several empty oil drums currently serving as lamps and a makeshift ring. Several of the lower ranked Ragnarok flunkies were currently fighting amongst themselves, trying to either boost their egos or to show off their skills in hopes of catching the eyes of one of the Nine Deadly Fists.

Sadly said individuals had other more pressing concerns on their minds.

"Unbelievable, not only did Siegfried get laid out by the rotten punk Shirahama, but I can't even get into contact with Fenrir now. Just perfect." Loki was currently in one of his rare frustrated moments and being rather vocal about it. Of course that didn't mean that the other Fists didn't share his sentiments.

Naturally it didn't take long for word to reach Odin about Loki's little plan and even less for them to learn that Siegfried had been beaten by Kenichi Shirahama. Though as it currently stood, they had yet to receive any sort of word on Fenrir and the outcome of his fight, which had put several of the Fists on edge.

"Well Loki, perhaps you should have put some more thought into that little plan of yours before sending Siegfried and Fenrir out to do your dirty work." Loki could only sneer at Odin's comment and refused to make eye contact.

"Odin's right Loki, you took a serious risk with that little stunt of yours and now as a result we have one Fist out of commission and two others currently unaccounted for." Freya spoke calmly, but she was somewhat worried. True, she didn't know Fenrir too well yet she still thought of him as a very vital member. Both for his loyalty and dedication he was someone that Freya at least felt she could put some trust in, opposed to people like Loki or Berserker.

Of course she wasn't the only one to think like this. "Come on, what are you guys worrying about? Fenrir already proved that he can handle that punk Kenichi with ease. Odds are he'll show up soon enough." Some eyes narrowed at the comment made by Valkyrie as she had never been known for her sympathy or caring of anyone, unless it had whiskers and said meow.

Despite her reassuring words Loki still didn't look too convinced. "That's easy for you to say Valkyrie, if it was just Shirahama then I wouldn't be worried in the slightest." Some of the Fists redirected their attention to Loki while Valkyrie actually stood up with her eyes narrowing. "And just what exactly do you mean by that?"

Loki's normally cheerful and creepy face hardened slightly, indicating that he was obviously not enjoying to spill the details. "Unfortunately someone else was with Shirahama at the docks, someone I believe you're familiar with." He paused for a moment and his mouth twitched slightly at his next words. "I believe you refer to her as Dairy Cow, aka Miu Furinji?"

It took a good deal of Valkyrie's willpower not to either explode in anger at the mention of her mortal enemy or to show signs of worry at the knowledge of Fenrir's possible opponent. "_Oh man, that's not good. As much as I hate to admit it, that Big Breasted Bimbo is a lot tougher than anyone I've ever fought before. And knowing her she probably got in Fenrir's way. The fact that Fenrir hasn't contacted us yet doesn't bode well, I just hope that idiot managed to save himself, things were a lot more interesting with him around."_

Though she would never say it out loud like Freya and Siegfried, Valkyrie had developed an interest in Fenrir. Even though he proved himself to be a tough and at times ruthless fighter, he still held a deep sense of allegiance and camaraderie that she had never seen before. He was simply different from the people she was used to and as a result wanted to get to know him better, or at least fight him to see just how good he was. Though right now things were not looking good.

Strangely enough Odin seemed perfectly calm, which was strange considering the circumstances. _"It would appear that Kenichi and his Shinpaku friends will prove to be more of a nuisance than I originally expected. Though with Siegefried out and Hermit missing things will be a bit shakier around here."_

As all the Fists contemplated their next move the fighting below continued, a pair of nameless thugs just finishing up their fight. It wasn't much to look at as it was a completely one-sided battle. One of the two was a boy of average height with brown hair and eyes, lean build, wearing a maroon shirt and jeans with black shoes. His opponent was a much larger individual with a thicker build, green shirt and black jeans along with a shaved head and scar over his left eye. He also held a very cocky grin on his face, showing that he was a rather arrogant individual.

All the Fists' eyes shifted to the ring as they watched the two combatants. The smaller one of the two was currently on the offensive, attacking his opponent with a series of well-placed punches and kicks. It was obvious he had some skill, unfortunately there didn't seem to be a lot of power behind the strikes as the larger fighter merely shrugged them off.

Naturally the Fists quickly lost interest as the smaller fighter tried one more attempt to win and lashed out with his right fist. This time the larger fighter quickly grabbed his opponent's wrist before throwing him around the room and out of the ring with ease.

His arrogant grin still present the fighter turned to the Fists who were sitting in the shadows. "Well, what do you think? Are you gonna make me one of the Fists? I could just replace one of those idiots Hermit or Fenrir." As he insulted the two Fists, Valkyrie, Freya and surprisingly Thor all tensed up, preparing to retaliate at the comment.

"Oh, so you think you can replace me as one of the Fists, do you?"

The fighter suddenly felt a chill go down his spine along with the feeling of an oppressive presence behind him. Slowly he turned around to find none other than Fenrir standing no more than ten feet away from him.

Seeing their comrade present again the other Fists quickly calmed down and some of them released a breath they didn't know they had been holding. Loki looked especially happy, glad to see that his little "pet project" was still in one piece.

The group stayed silent however, watching Fenrir deal with the overconfident fighter who had now broken into a cold sweat, all his confidence gone.

Fenrir merely stood there, glaring at the fighter with his ice-cold eyes, further frightening the fighter. "If you want to take my position, then feel free to go ahead and try to take it."

However, the once arrogant fighter merely stood there as if glue to the spot. Thus he stayed rooted while Fenrir merely shook his head in disappointment. "Well, if you aren't going to fight me, then… GET LOST!"

His last words were spoken with such intensity that all those present could literally feel the level of fury present in them. Thus it wasn't too surprising, at least to the other Fists, to watch the fighter be blown backwards.

Unnoticed by all, Odin's eyes widened slightly at the exchange. "_Impressive, so he knows how to properly channel his KI and use it against his opponent. Though he still needs practice with it, to know such an advanced technique says a great deal about Fenrir. I better keep a closer eye on him from now on."_

Fenrir took one last look at the downed flunky. "Unless you plan to stand by what you say, you shouldn't run your mouth like that. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to speak out of your ass."

The hooded Fist then made his way over to his comrades as Odin rose to his feet to greet him. "Good to see you're alright Fenrir, we were starting to get worried about you."

Fenrir slowly kneeled in front of the others as a sign of respect. "Sorry about that, but unfortunately I hit a bit of a roadblock during the mission and needed a little time to get back on my feet."

Before Odin could reply Thor quickly stood up. "How's Siegfried, is he okay?" Fenrir turned to the large sumo warrior. "His injuries were a surprisingly severe but I was able to get him to the hospital fairly quickly and the doctors told me that he should be fine after a few days." Thor quickly broke out into a large smile. "That's good to hear."

This response actually got a small hidden smile out of Fenrir as well. Even though he had been with Ragnarock for some time now he still hadn't managed to learn very much about most of the individual Fists. For the most part they all acted like you typical thugs who enjoyed either flaunting their power or using it to knock people they didn't like senseless. With the exceptions of Siegfried, Freya and Valkyrie to an extent, he naturally held no feelings for the other Fists. So he was glad to see that Thor genuinely cared about his comrades.

In a way the sumo reminded Naruto of Choji. Besides the obvious similarity in size both fighters cared deeply about their friends and had rather big hearts to boot. This sense of familiarity brought the blonde a sense of comfort.

"Not that we aren't happy about those news Fenrir, but I believe we're all dying to know about what exactly happened at the docks." Loki quickly posed the question all the other Fists had also on their minds.

To that Fenrir merely looked at Loki and the other Fists. "Not much to say. I arrived at the scene not long after you and I last met Loki. I quickly headed to the docks to give Sieg some support but when I got there he was already engaged in combat with Kenichi Shirahama." The Ninth Fist paused briefly, the other Fists noticing how he was now clutching his hands in anger.

"I prepared to aid Siegfried but Shirahama managed to finish him off with some kind of strange punching technique I had never seen before." As expected several of the Fists gained curious and interested looks on their faces at the mention of such a technique.

"A strange kind of punch… I don't suppose you could be a bit more specific?" Odin asked, showing Fenrir that he had his full attention. The leader of Ragnarok wanted to know every detail about this technique.

Fenrir could only sigh. "Its' not exactly easy to describe, I was not very close to them. Furthermore it happened pretty quickly. However, what I do remember was that he got right up to Sieg, placed his fist on his chest and then seemed to almost unleash sort of a barrage of super fast punches."

"It must be a very powerful technique for it to defeat Siegfried so easily. We better keep our eyes open for it should we ever fight Shirahama ourselves." All the other Fists nodded at Freya's statement before waiting for Fenrir to continue his report.

"After I saw Shirahama take down Siegfried I quickly charged him. Unfortunately, Miu Furinji got in my way." Now everyone was hanging onto his words, even Berserker's attention was focused on Fenrir. Although the Fists knew little about Miu Furinji it was apparent that she was skilled from what they knew about her and could be considered a major threat. Thus they were interested to see exactly how well Fenrir had managed to fare against the girl.

Naturally Fenrir was quick to respond. "I clashed with Miu Furinji in a rather difficult battle. She proved to be a much more formidable opponent than I originally expected."

Valkyrie quickly got right into the hooded fighter's face, desiring to get the answer to the question that plagued her. "Cut the crap already Fenrir, did the Dairy Cow lay you out flat or what?" Loki, Freya and Odin all seemed to share her curiosity, just without as many words.

Fenrir of course was somewhat confused about the Dairy Cow comment but quietly shook it off as he spoke. "I was successful in defeating Miu Furinji. While I suffered some injuries from her attacks I managed to take her down."

At that instant it was completely silent in the room as the group tried to digest the information they had just received. True, they all knew that Fenrir was an extremely capable fighter and worthy of his position as a Fist. Yet no one had expected him to defeat said girl. It proved to be especially shocking for Valkyrie, whose enthusiasm had now been replaced with frustration as she grabbed Fenrir's jacket with a serious look on her face.

"How?"

Once again Fenrir was somewhat confused at the question, though he didn't have a chance to speak as Valkyrie asked again, with greater intensity this time.

"How did you beat her? I fought that blonde bimbo with everything I had and I couldn't even manage to land one hit on her! So tell me, how the hell did you do it?"

Naruto naturally didn't say anything at first as he quickly understood the actual question. _"I get it, she wants to know how I beat Furinji so she can do the same thing the next time the two meet." _Another sense of nostalgia welled up in Fenrir as he saw traces of his former teammate Sakura in Valkyrie. Both were hotheaded at times and extremely aggressive, but thankfully that was matched by an equally strong desire to improve. It made the normally cold Fist smirk somewhat at the many similarities several of the people around him had to his old friends. Still, this wasn't the right time for nostalgia. Naruto redirected his focus to the girl in front of him again.

Valkyrie continued to look at the hooded Fist with a sense of urgency, awaiting his response. She was hoping to finally get an edge over her rival. Instead Fenrir softly pushed her arms away from him before slowly walking forward. The red haired fighter simply stood there before adopting a look of pure anger, preparing to rip her esteemed comrade a new one.

"I'll tell you later, Valkyrie."

Her fury suddenly halted as she turned to Fenrir with a somewhat shocked look. She was even more surprised when the normally cold fighter looked at her with a kind look in his eyes. "If you want I'll teach you a few ways to deal with her, just not right now. Is that alright with you?"

The normally violent Taekwondo fighter found herself unable to respond. Since she had quit being Freya's student, no one in Ragnarock had ever offered to teach her anything. Mostly because of her conviction to follow her own way, but still, this didn't mean she wouldn't like a little helpful advice here and there. So it was pretty shocking to hear that exact thing from Fenrir.

Though still shell shocked she noticed the others staring at her, so she quickly shook it off before making her way forward. However, once she was a few feet ahead of Fenrir she spoke up. "Alright, I'll hold you to that little promise." She then turned to him with a small but tough looking smile on her face. "But if you don't deliver… Then I'm gonna have to kick your ass into the pavement pal."

Fenrir actually chuckled at her attempt to appear cool. "I'll keep that in mind." He then quickly lost his humorous tone as he looked back to Odin. "Now that Miu Furinji has been incapacitated at least for now, what will our next move be?"

"I figure it's quite obvious what we should do now." Eyes quickly turned to Loki who was now grinning and chuckling like normal. His expression showed that he had something evil running through his mind. "Thanks to Fenrir here we have not only shown that we can handle Shirahama, but also his little blond attack dog as well. That alone will make those Shinpaku fools hesitant to attack us. Plus with one of their strongest members taken care of it's the perfect chance to hit them where it hurts." Freya, Odin and Fenrir all nodded, though Thor seemed a little lost.

"If that's the case then what should we do? Those Shinpaku guys have already shown they won't give in to fear or intimidation tactics. Plus beating them up doesn't seem to help either. What options does that leave us with?" Loki quickly gained a dangerous gleam in his eyes at the sumo's question.

"It's obvious! We need to take Shirahama down, and I'm not just talking about beating him up. I mean putting him down hard." The Fourth Fist chuckled at his idea, even though he didn't expose many details.

After a moment Loki decided to reveal his plan. "The other Shinpaku fools view him and that alien freak Niijima as their pillars of strength and support. Once we take them down for good the whole organization will fall along with them." All other Fists present absorbed the information as Loki continued. "The best way to take Shirahama down is to lure him out and get him to fight us one on one."

Freya quickly spoke up. "Forgive me Loki, but this is what we have been doing from the beginning and it hasn't yielded any positive results so far."

Valykrie snorted at the remembrance of her last encounter with Shirahama. "Plus the odds are that the punk will most likely spend more time trying to run away rather than fighting. We'd just be wasting our time and energy."

"Not if we give him a reason to stay."

Odin's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

Loki's grin soon became sinister as all those around almost cringed at the sight of it. "Shirahama is as predictable as a cheap Saturday morning cartoon. When there's nothing to be gained or lost in a fight he runs 100 miles in the opposite direction. However, as we have seen at our most recent encounter, the instant someone he knows is in danger he arrives in a heartbeat, ready to fight. All we have to do is find someone who could lure him into the open and then _crush him mercilessly_." Loki proceeded to smash his fist into a nearby crate, shattering it for emphasis.

The other Fists didn't respond immediately to the plan as they mused over the options. Thor and Valkyrie didn't seem too wild about the idea since they weren't exactly crazy about the whole concept of kidnapping. Freya seemed impartial; at least that was how she appeared. Berserker, as expected, didn't seem to care one way or the other while Odin just sat there, waiting for the others' input.

"I don't think we should resort to such a tactic." Loki's eyes shot up from behind his glasses and his head darted towards the absolute last person he had expected to reject his plan. "Fenrir, what the hell are you talking about? I figured out of all of us you'd be the most willing to go along with this plan if it meant taking Shirahama down for good. Plus, how is this any different from your plan at the docks?" Loki quickly took a step back when he saw the cold look in Fenrir's eyes when he mentioned his last plan.

The cold eyes slowly softened though they still held a look of disgust. "I admit that I was willing to resort to such tactics at first, but now I realize how foolish it was. Don't misunderstand me; I want to take Shirahama down, but not this way."

Now it was Valkyrie's turn to be curious. Although she still didn't know much about Fenrir, she knew he was behaving differently than his usual ice cold self. "I don't get it. I mean, I'm not crazy about the idea of kidnapping someone either but why are you so against it suddenly?"

Fenrir was hesitant to speak as he turned his back slightly to the Fists. "I admit that I wanted Shirahama to be brought down but I didn't fully consider the possible consequences. Because of that Siegfried almost got killed." He spoke with guilt in his voice meriting looks of sympathy from Thor and Valkyrie while the others remained impartial.

"Truthfully I didn't expect Shirahama to show up. I mainly set that stunt up as a means to prove once and for all that he was what I believed him to be: a spineless coward who would rather abandon his friends than fight. Instead he not only proved me wrong but as a result Siegfried suffered for my ignorance. We can't simply use these cheap tactics against him or else they will backfire in our faces. If we intent to take Shirahama down for good we must be smart about it and consider all outcomes and options." He spoke the last words with utmost seriousness, indicating how strongly he felt towards this notion.

As expected the remaining Fists seemed divided on the idea. Fenrir mentally measured his chance for success. "_Valkyrie and I aren't on the best of terms but I figure she'll stand by me. Then there's Thor who seems like a pretty stand up guy, plus he looked really down about what happened to Siegfried. As for Freya, I still can't really tell where she stands, though I already know how Loki, Odin and Berserkers will answer."_

Loki however didn't seem patient enough to wait for a collective response. "Well, that's all fine and dandy Fenrir, but I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation." Fenrir's eyes narrowed at the Fourth Fist's words. _"This can't be good." _Truth was that while Fenrir was still thankful to Loki for getting him into Ragnarok; that was about where his loyalty to him stopped. Since joining he had always had his suspicions about the Fourth Fist, knowing he wasn't the kind of person you could easily trust. Plus what he had heard about said Fist didn't help much. So he could already tell Loki intended to say something to convince the Fists to support his side.

"Unfortunately Fenrir, we don't have the time to be patient or calculating about this. While you may have defeated Shirahama's big-breasted bodyguard, he still defeated Siegfried. Knowing that alien freak Niijima, he'll probably spread word about how his stupid alliance's commander managed to beat another one of the Fists all across the town. It won't be long before the names of the Nine Deadly Fists of Ragnarok are dragged through the mud and we're seen as nothing more than a bunch of pathetic weaklings." With those last words Loki managed to gain a small grin on his face as he caught a glance of the other Fists. _"That should help throw some wood into the fire."_

As expected all the Fists save Fenrir gained looks of frustration, anger and retribution on their faces. Most of them had worked exceedingly hard for their skills and enjoyed being both respected and feared for them. So the idea that they would be underestimated and even mocked as a result of the Shinpaku Alliance obviously wasn't going to sit well with them. Fenrir could only shake his head in disappointment. "You guys really can't tell me you're going to ignore all I've just said and attack Shirahama blindly just because your egos might get bruised, are you?"

Loki could only smirk as the Fists glared slightly at Fenrir. "Hate to break it to you Fenrir, but in Ragnarok one of our most important jobs is to keep our image intact. If people don't respect us for our skills we become nothing more than dead weight. However, if you want to run away like a coward like Hermit did, then fine." Fenrir growled in response, preparing to counter when a voice halted them.

"Who are you calling a coward, Loki?"

The room suddenly became eerily quiet as all eyes darted to a familiar hooded individual standing in the doorway of the warehouse. Loki quickly lost his grin and started to sweat slightly while Fenrir actually gained a slight grin on his face. Natsu Tanimoto aka Hermit, the Sixth Fist of Ragnrok had returned.

(Scene Change, Ryozanpaku Night Time)

It was rather silent in Ryozanpaku as Kenichi sat quietly on the floor, watching Miu as she recovered from the battle with Fenrir. Even though Akisame had told him that she would be fine the young disciple couldn't help but stay at her side. The peaceful expression on the girl's face helped to ease some of the tension he had been feeling. Yet even so he was still somewhat on edge.

His mind focused on Fenrir's last words before he had disappeared. "_Unless you want to see more of your friends end up like blondie here I suggest you start taking your training seriously or watch everyone you care about get hurt protecting your sorry ass."_

"_I know that Fenrir said that I need to get stronger, but how can I even hope to stand against someone like him? He's already beaten me once and now Miu, what chance do I even have?" _He thought back to his words he had spoken to his masters, to his vow to get stronger to defeat Ragnrok.

This caused him to let out a depressed sigh. "Man, I must seem pretty pathetic right now. Here I was saying all that stuff about getting stronger even though I probably don't have a chance in hell of winning. And now I sitting here, drowning in self pity." The boy slowly clutched his head in frustration, trying to think of a solution for his mental conflict.

"Something on your mind Kenichi?" The boy's eyes quickly shot up as he turned around to find the Elder standing in the doorway.

"Oh Elder, I didn't see you there. I take it you're here to see Miu?" The Elder however slowly shook his head in response. "To an extent yes, but I'm also here to see you Kenichi."

"Me? What for, I'm doing just fine." Kenichi said though it was obvious by his tone that he was lying, which the wise elder easily recognized. "You should know better than to lie to an old man Kenichi. We have a tendency to know when something is bothering someone and I can tell you still have something on your mind."

Kenchi wasn't quick to respond as first, slowly looking at the floor which caused the Elder's eyes to narrow. "Is this about that Fenrir boy Kenichi?" Kenichi was slow to respond, showing that he had hit the nail on the head.

"Elder, have you ever fought against someone who seemed so much stronger than you that you could never hope to catch up to him no matter how hard you tried?" The old master's brows furrowed as he pondered the question before he slowly took a seat in front of his disciple.

"Well Kenichi, that's not an easy question to answer. I'm sure you are aware that there are plenty of people out there who will seem vastly stronger than you at first. But you can't let that discourage your progress. After all, one of the most important things in learning Martial Arts is to keep practicing to improve." Kenichi however didn't seem satisfied with the answer.

"I know that Elder, I do. It's just, well, one of my goals when I started training here at Ryozanpaku was to become strong enough to match my skills to Miu's." His eyes softened as he mentioned the girl he secretly cared for. "When I saw her fight for the first time I was amazed at how strong and graceful she was. Since then I've been training, I've tried hard to catch up to her and never gotten even remotely close." Slowly the boy's eyes hardened again, causing the Elder to gain a saddened look.

"Yet Fenrir managed to do what I couldn't, he managed to beat Miu after fighting her just once. Miu practically went all out against him and look what happened!" It soon became harder for the boy to continue speaking as he clutched the fabric of his pants in frustration. "I know I said I would train harder so I could beat him and Ragnarok, but how can I ever hope to when even Miu couldn't defeat him?"

At the end of his tirade Kenichi felt a soft hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes, only to see the Elder's face with a kind smile on it. "I understand your frustration Kenichi, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. After all, there are plenty of fighters out there who are much stronger than Miu or Fenrir are, but they've had decades of more training and experience. However, if you continue to work hard and improve then the gap between you and them will grow smaller with each passing day. Just remember, in Martial Arts you only ever truly lose a fight when you either quit or die."

The words seemed to work as the once distraught boy seemed to calm down slightly. "Thanks for the advice Elder, I feel much better now." He slowly got up. He had stayed at Miu's side for a while and was in need of some rest himself. As he made his way to the door he took one last look at Miu before disappearing into the confines of Ryozanpaku.

"Heh, that boy needs to have more confidence in himself. I have no doubt that with proper training and time Kenichi will become an excellent master." However, the smile slowly left his face as his eyes turned to his injured and bedridden granddaughter, more precisely the burn wound still present on her abdomen.

The Elder's face slowly became serious as he mused over the connection he had made the previous night, concerning Fenrir's teacher. "Still, I fear that Kenichi will need more than confidence if he wants to defeat this opponent, if he was really trained by the man I'm thinking of." At that the Elder once again let his mind drift back to a time long ago when he had first encountered said individual.

"_After all this time, I never imagined he would appear again. Whatever the case is, one thing is for sure: things are going to get extremely rough in the following weeks."_

(Scene change, Ragnarok's Warehouse)

It was completely silent when all eyes focused on the once absent Sixth Fist who was now standing before them. The lower ranked members quickly backed away out of fear of the Fist's wrath while the other Fists stayed silent and cool headed.

Hermit stood silently for a moment before proceeding towards the group at a slow pace. "I have to say, I'm surprised. From what I heard you managed to screw up big time, Loki." The Fourth Fist twitched slightly as he tried to maintain his composure at the remark while adopting a cocky look on his face. "Pretty big talk for someone who turned tail and ran away after losing a fight. From my point of view Hermit you're in no position to criticize anyone."

The cold-hearted kempo fighter slowly started to radiate anger towards the blue haired trickster, showing he was ready to fight. However, his attention slowly turned to his houseguest who was now approaching him rather quickly. Before anyone could say anything, Fenrir quickly spun to the left, lowering himself almost to the ground and unleashing a fierce high kick. Hermit however used his speed to block the attack with an upside-down knife hand.

The Sixth Fist's cold eyes peered into the darkness that hid Fenrir's face before he gained a cold smirk. "Careful how you treat your landlord pal, otherwise I might just be inclined to evict your sorry ass." Fenrir merely wordlessly pushed himself back up before lowering his leg and turning his back to his opponent. "That was for stealing all my food and leaving me to starve, you jackass."

The comment actually caused a few chuckles from some of the people present while Hermit merely drew back his own hand, "Quit your complaining, all the food was in my fridge and if I want to take it, I will. Besides, you're still alive, aren't you?" His comment managed to rouse a little anger in the Capoeira fighter, showing that he was eager to continue their little bout.

Odin however quickly stood up from his seat before waving his hand. "That's enough. all of you. Remember, there is to be no fighting among us, understood?" The two Fists slowly backed away from each other whilst Loki slowly turned his back to the group. "Well, this has been fun and all but I've got a plan to put together, see you around." As he made his way to the door he paused for a moment before turning his head to the other two Fists. "Hermit, I'd be careful about shooting your mouth off around here, you don't want to piss the wrong person off." With a chuckle the Fourth Fist left the group in silence.

The First Fist slowly turned his back to the group. "Well, I believe that everything has been said that needed to be discussed. Hermit, due to what happened I'm willing to ignore your absence up to this point, just don't try it again." He slowly walked down the pile of crates, slowly walking past Fenrir. "One more thing, Fenrir. I recommend you keep that temper of yours in check, we can't have you and Hermit fighting each other at this point." The First Fist took another step before turning around once more, looking at Fenrir with a pair of extremely cold eyes. "Remember to keep that self-righteous attitude to yourself, it has no place here in Ragnarok and will only hold you back as a Martial Artist. Keep that in mind."

It took a great deal of the Ninth Fist's willpower to not lash out against the First Fist. Of all the Fists Odin was the one he trusted the least, even less than Loki. The purple haired teen reminded him greatly of Orochimaru, namely a person willing to do anything for power, a person who didn't care how many people he had to step over to get it. Even though he was technically his superior the Ninth Fist had never seen him in that way, and that little comment only served to further his distrust.

His anger was quickly calmed however when he sensed a rather large individual behind him. Quickly turning around he was surprised to find the large and imposing Thor in front of him. Naruto didn't know too much about the sumo fighter other than that he was extremely dedicated to his fighting style and seemed to value honor to an extent. Still, he had never actually spoken with him before, thus he was confused what he could possibly want from him.

"Something I can help you with, Thor?" The brown haired sumo didn't react at first, but slowly a grateful smile spread over his face. "I just wanted to say thanks for helping out Siegfried." His tone was kind and honest which the blonde found comforting. "Siegfried's been my friend for a long time and probably the only person I can really trust in this gang." His smile quickly grew into a full-blown grin. "Now I know I can trust you too pal. So if you need any help with something, just give me a call and I'll be there for you!"

Fenrir started to wave his hands in front of himself, slightly embarrassed at the praise. "It was nothing, really Thor. Siegfried is my friend too and helping him was naturally what any friend would have done in this situation. You don't owe me anything." Unfortunately the sumo refused to listen, his eyes now glowing with flames of passion. "I cannot do that, a sumo never breaks a promise to anyone, and I'll stand by that oath no matter what!"

Fenrir could only shake his head in defeat. "_Guess there's no point in arguing with the eager. Well, at least it's nice to know there's someone else in this place I can actually call a friend." _His expression grew sour again as he shot a glance at Hermit. _"Too bad I can't say the same about captain stick-up-his-ass. I swear, it's like being with Sasuke all over again. Hell, I think I'd rather deal with the current Sasuke than this guy."_

Though he wished it, the sad fact was that Fenrir had no place to go and Hermit's house was the only place available. So even though it killed him a little on the inside the hooded fist slowly made his way back to the house with his landlord walking silently next to him.

"_Just when I was starting to enjoy the silence in that place..."_

(Scene Change, Three Days later at Ryozanpaku)

A new day had begun at the dojo and it seemed to regain some of its original fire with it. Granted, Miu was still recovering from her battle but Kenichi had started to act upon his previous conviction to train both harder and more seriously. However….

"Keep your guard up and make sure to block with your right arm; otherwise your opponent can slip right past it…LIKE THIS!"

A loud crash echoed throughout the area.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

The young disciple yelled in both fear and pain as he once again flew against the wall before falling onto the hard floor. His karate master Sakakai, dressed in his Gi, stood not too far away, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. "Geez kid, what did I tell you about blocking just now?" Kenichi could only groan in response as he slowly stood back up.

The pair had been practicing to improve Kenichi's blocking technique in order to better combat Fenrir's fast moving attacks. As such Sakaki had decided to teach him how to block attacks from a more powerful opponent, which in translation meant he used Kenichi as a punching bag. Yet oddly enough the boy hadn't even complained, he had simply stood in front of his master with a firey look of determination in his eyes, saying he was ready for anything. Now he was paying for it.

Sakaki sighed. "Alright Kenichi, let's take a break, I don't want to bang you up too bad." The karate master slowly turned around to find himself a can of beer. But his disciple apparently wasn't ready to quit yet.

"Master Sakaki, wait please! Can't we continue?" Sakaki looked back to see Kenichi standing again, albeit breathing somewhat harder, meriting a look of pity from the normally boisterous master. "Sorry kid, if we train you too hard then you won't have enough energy for later. Save your energy for now and we'll continue in a bit." He then proceeded to leave the room.

Kenichi slowly leaned himself against the wall of the dojo, trying to catch his breath. "Well, it's not like I thought this would be easy. Still, I need to keep training and get stronger. I just hope I can get strong fast enough before someone else gets hurt..."

As the martial artist in training mused to himself he failed to notice a small shadow gradually making its way over to him. It wasn't long before he was covered by the shadow of said mysterious individual. Kenichi was barely able to turn to face the person before his face met a red mallet.

Even though it was a toy it still hurt a bit. With a tired groan Kenichi addressed his assailant. "Ow, damnit Honoka, what did I tell you about coming here when I'm training?" His brown eyes focused on a very young girl of about thirteen years of age. She had brown hair which was done in the same peculiar style as Kenichi and light purple eyes, garbed in a simple pink shirt and purple skirt. She was Kenichi's younger and often annoying little sister Honoka, who unfortunately had a nasty little habit of clinging to him like a tick.

As Kenichi continued to lightly glare at his sister, the young girl merely pulled back her little toy mallet before flashing a bright smile at him. "Come on Kenichi, scar face said you could take a break, so why don't we have some fun, huh?" Her smile however slowly dropped as she heard her brother sigh. "I'm sorry Honoka, but I just don't have the time to play with you right now. I'm busy with my Martial Arts training."

The small girl's face quickly turned sour as she pouted. "You always say that! Come on, it won't kill you to go out and have some fun, will it?" Kenichi however merely stood up before turning his back to the girl. "Honoka, please just go away for now, I'm busy." He then walked away to get some water, leaving the small girl alone, though it hurt him on the inside to leave his sister like this. _"Sorry Honoka, the truth is I wouldn't mind having some fun right now. However, I don't have the luxury of time, I need to get stronger so I'll be ready for the next time Ragnarok shows up. I hope you can forgive me at some point."_

"That seemed a little harsh, don't you think Kenichi?" The boy's eyes quickly widened as he turned around to find his Judo master standing not too far away, looking at him with a look of sorrow. "You've been taking your training much more seriously as of late and I'm glad for that. Still, you shouldn't try and push yourself too hard. After all, you're still a teen and should have fun once in a while. Especially if it is with your family."

The young disciple smiled somewhat in agreement but was obviously still a little conflicted about it. It was apparent to the Jujitsu master that he was still thinking about Miu's injuries, even though she was recovering quickly. "Look Kenichi, why don't you spend some time with your sister and we'll train some more when you get back, alright?"

Kenichi had paused for a moment before nodding in response. "Alright master, but just for a little while, then it's right back to training." The young boy slowly turned around and looked for his sister. "Hey Honoka, listen, if you still want to we can…." But he found only an empty room, no girl present.

Now of course Kenichi was a bit worried but Honoka knew the neighborhood better than him and had been coming back and forth from the dojo without him following her, so she'd probably be okay.

Though disheartened he decided to head back to training. And yet he couldn't help but to feel slightly uneasiness for some reason. _"I hope Honoka will make it back home alright."_

(Scene change, the middle of the city, where Kenichi lives)

"Stupid Kenichi, spending all his time training and not even giving me the time of day…" The young girl muttered to herself, kicking a rock on the sidewalk away as she made her way through town. The crowds of people took notice of the young girl by herself but didn't pay it too much mind as she seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts.

The young girl however seemed to have tuned out of the rest of the world as she simply looked up at the sun, musing back to the time when she and Kenichi were practically attached at the hip. "Now that big brother's gotten all serious and stuff, who am I supposed to hang out with? Appachi and Shigure are fun to be around, but still…" Her words seemed to go unanswered until a rather loud and angry voice rang out in the distance.

"Remind me again… Why the hell you're following me through town?"

Several eyes tuned to a rather interesting and somewhat violent conversation being made, including Honoka's whose curiosity had been peaked. She quickened her pace before her eyes landed on a pair of teenage boys around Kenichi's age.

One of them was a pretty boy with a very handsome face that most girls would kill themselves over. He was dressed in a brown colored jacket, black shirt, blue pants and brown shoes. His hair was a light blond color and neatly combed over his head. His eyes however were light purple and held a very cold look that most would find intimidating. Honoka however merely thought. "Wow, talk about a pretty boy. Though he certaining looks kind of funny with his face like that." She then turned her attention to the second boy who the first boy seemed to be arguing with.

"I told you why already, do you really need a reminder? You still owe me for the food you jacked so you could go brood in the forest for a week. I'm gonna make sure you pay me back by refilling the fridge and cupboards so I don't have to eat that crap you stomach everyday."

The second boy was somewhat similar to the first, at least in terms of height and build. His face was narrower however, just not as defined as the face of the other boy. He wore a simple white jacket with a black shirt, jeans and black shoes. Like the other he had blond hair as well but at a much darker shade in a spiked style that almost looked like the sun itself. The most interesting things about him however were his eyes which were deep blue in color. While not cold like the other boy's they seemed to contain many other emotions the young girl couldn't decipher. The other interesting thing about him were the three whisker like marks he had on each cheek, almost making him look like a cat in a way.

Honoka found herself intrigued by the pair's constant bickering, watching them exchange insults with each other and the occasional banter.

"For the last time, I never brood you asshole, I was training! Unlike you I actually work towards improving my skills." The purple eyed blonde spoke with a cold and agitated tone which only merited an angry response from the other teen.

"First off, I train just as hard as you do pal, probably even a lot harder. Second, you do brood, you're doing it right now. Hell, I'm surprised you don't have a little cloud hanging over your head, you're such a negative jerk!" His words merited a somewhat quick response as the light blond haired teen jumped back, his hands raised in knife position. Naturally the other took a step back and lowered himself, placing one arm in front and the other behind his back along with one of his legs.

The purpled eyed teen glared at him. "You've been getting on my nerves a lot lately, what do you say, shall we settle this right here and now?"

The darker haired blonde seemed to share the sentiment. "That's the wisest thing you've said today, though I think we should refrain from doing this here, especially in front of so many people."

Both teens continued to stare at each other silently as they continued to move forward. Unfortunately their attention was so focused on each other that the lighter haired teen failed to notice a trio of individuals walking by him till he brushed up against one of them.

As if it was a reflex the one who was bumped into quickly turned around with an angry look on his face. "Hey, why don't you watch where you're going you punk?" His words caused Natsu to stop before looking at the man with a cynical look. "Sorry, you say something?"

The teen quickly developed a vein of anger as he walked up to the cynical blonde before grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. "Look here boys, we got are selves a little wiseass. Didn't anyone ever teach you it isn't polite to just bump into people without apologizing?"

Normally Hermit would have just brushed these guys off or led them to an alley to beat the crap out of them. Unfortunately his conversation with his roommate had shortened his fuse considerably and was now ready to blow. Naruto of course could tell what was going to happen and prepared to intervene.

"Don't you bully the pretty boy you punks!"

The thug quickly loosened his grip and turned around to determine the source of this shout. "What the hellOOOOH." He found himself unable to continue speaking as a small red toy hammer smacked him square in the face.

Those present watched the scene in shock. Not only at the interaction but also at the new assailant, who was surprisingly the little girl who had been previously watching the bickering blondes. Most people were shocked and awed, Naruto was actually amused and Natsu was plain shocked.

The teen that had been punished quickly shook himself out of his daze before glaring hatefully at the girl. "You little brat, this ain't none of your business!"

Honoka however stood her ground, her hammer defiantly in hand. "Says you! If you plan to fight someone it should be fair, one on one and you shouldn't fight unless it's absolutely necessary. You're not playing fair pal!" Honoka recited some of what she remembered the masters telling her. The thug and his goons however didn't look too convinced as the leader slowly made his way over to her.

"Oh really, thanks for the input but I don't play by the rules. That includes not hitting a little girl." The goon quickly struck forward with his knee, intending to strike the girl only for her to leap up using his leg for support and quickly landed on the ground. Sadly she lost her balance as she landed and fell on her knee.

"Now you're mine!" The thug took the opening and unleashed a punch right at the girl who could only sit and watch.

***Grab***

"Huh? What the hell?" The thug suddenly found himself in the vice like grip of Natsu who had an especially irritated look on his face. Before the assailant even had a chance to react a quick chop to the neck caused him to black out.

Naturally the other two tried to jump in but both quickly found themselves blocked by the spiky haired blonde, looking at them with cold eyes. "I would advise you pick up you friend and leave, or else you'll end up like him." Sadly the two didn't heed the warning and charged him.

Before the two even had the chance the teen flipped forward landed on both hands before spinning on his palm, delivering a roundhouse kick right into their faces. After the kick he gracefully used his remaining spin to jump and land on his feet again before the two thugs unconsciously fell to the ground.

All those watching were awestruck by the display, some whispering to each other, taking pictures or just standing there. Naruto simply turned his back to the thugs.

"You done showing off already?" Naruto quickly developed a frown on his face before he looked at Natsu who simply returned the expression. _"I swear to god, this guy is a bigger buzz kill than old Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru all rolled into one!"_

Still keeping his cool he merely replied. "Just shut up and keep walking."

The pair slowly walked away but weren't able to get far. "Hey wait a miunte!"

Both fighters slowly turned to the girl who was still sitting on the ground, looking at them with big puppy dog eyes and obvious fake tears coming down her cheeks. "You aren't just gonna leave an injured girl like me here, are you?"

Their eyes quickly focused on the 'injury' in question, which was nothing more than a little scrap on the knee. Was it painful, for a little girl? Yes. Life threatening? No way. Now of course neither teen was really in the most cheerful of moods but they really couldn't leave the girl alone like this.

"_Guess we've got to take her back to the house." _The two thought simultaneously.

Naturally Naruto wanted to approach the girl first since he knew Hermit wasn't big on being nice to anyone. But he took notice of something in the normally cold fighter's eyes, a faint trace of sadness and longing he had never seen on his face before.

It was strange to say the least and it seemed to remain as the boy slowly picked the little girl up before walking in the direction of the house. Naruto however could only look on with interest.

"_That's different, I figured he'd want to leave the girl and then have me step in to tell him otherwise. I wonder what's up with him…"_

The Ninth Fist however didn't have the time to question himself as Hermit practically ordered him to get a move on, the two heading towards the house with their new temporary charge in tow.

(Scene Change, Tanimoto Mansion)

"_Well this is certainly an interesting turn of events. Never thought I'd see this." _Naruto quietly mused to himself as he watched the normally cold and cruel Hermit disinfecting the girl's injury before placing a bandage on it. "_The only way this could get any weirder was if he kissed it too."_

Hermit seemed oddly different around the girl. True, he still wore his normal facial expression that read "Get the F%#! Away from me", yet he didn't seem as cold as usual, which intrigued his blond companion. It was also apparent that Hermit was somewhat uneasy about something as he quickly finished the treatment.

"There, your knee should be fine now, right?" The girl's eyes quickly darted to the small bandage on her leg. Slowly she swung her leg back and forth to test it out before dropping off the couch and walking, a smile on her face. "That's amazing; my leg doesn't hurt at all! Thanks a lot!"

Unfortunately Hermit ignored the comment as he put the first aid kit away. "Good, now get out already." However, much to Naruto's amusement the kempo fighter's words fell on deaf ears as she instead began to poke and pradle around the house with amazement over its size.

"Wow, this house is huge, you guys must be really rich to live in a house like this." The girl slowly paused for a moment as she turned to the pair, her eyes darting back and forth between the two with a calculating gaze. It made the two feel strangely uncomfortable for some reason. "Are you two brothers?"

Natsu palmed in his face in response while Naruto actually chuckled at the comment. "Listen brat, this idiot is my cousin who I'm unfortunately stuck living with for a while." Naruto chose to play along with the charade. "It's not like living with you is a picnic either."

The Sixth Fist could only pinch the bridge of his nose before he redirected his attention to the girl, who was now touching every valuable thing in the room much to his annoyance. "Listen brat, would you just leave already?" Instead she simply continued to move around, ignoring every word from the boy's mouth.

The whole scene was actually making Naruto laugh a little on the inside as he thought back to a similar series of interaction between him and Iruka. The thought made him feel a little sad actually. "_It's funny, no matter where I go, there's always something that reminds me of life back in Konoha. Guess there are just some things in life you can't ever escape from." _He mentally paused as he watched how the girl whom Hermit had long since given up on reasoning with noticed a picture frame lying on one of the tables near the fire place.

That merited a curious look from the spiky haired blonde who had seen the frame before but never expressed much interest in it. She slowly picked the frame up and took note of the people it held. "Wow, is this a picture of your family?" In an instance Hermit's face hardened as he gave the girl a harsh glare. "Put that down NOW!"

The frame left the girls grasp in an instant. Naruto's eyebrow quirked at the reaction before his own face hardened somewhat. "Just calm down Natsu, no need to bite the kid's head off."

As expected he was met with another cold glare from the boy who responded with a voice laced with venom. "Don't tell me what to do buddy or I won't hesitate to kick your sorry ass to the curb."

Naruto's and Natsu's face each held a hardened expression as they continued to stare each other down. The atmosphere was extremely tense and the girl was obviously uncomfortable. Yet oddly enough she was quick to bounce back. "Hey come on, you guys shouldn't fight. Oh, I know, I'll go make us some tea, that ought to lighten things up."

She left the room quickly while the two simply stood there like frozen, though it was apparent that Naruto had something he wanted to voice. "What's you problem Natsu? Even for you that was pretty harsh. I know the kid's a little annoying but her heart's in the right place. Why are you acting like she's the enemy or something?"

The silent Sixth Fist simply turned his back to the blonde. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to. Just do me a favor and stay they hell out of my business." Obviously the boy wanted to be left alone and Naruto was prepared to continue the issue when his phone started to ring.

With some hesitantion he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Well, you gonna tell me know or what?" A familiar and violent voice rang from the phone, a voice Naruto recognized immediately.

"Kisara, is that you?" The response was given almost immediately. "Who else, or did you forget earlier already? You promised you'd teach me how to handle that damn Dairy Cow the same way you did."

The gears in the blonde's head started to turn as he slowly recalled said words. "Oh right, sorry about that. I'm not so….!" He paused for a moment before redirecting his focus to Hermit who had placed himself on the couch. At first glance he seemed to be simply brooding, but upon closer inspection it was apparent that his eyes and ears were focused on the little girl currently having her way with the kitchen.

Even through his stone like face Naruto could easily see that the boy was actually interested in what the girl was doing and to an extent anxious. It was obvious that there was something about that girl that was bringing out a different side of the normally cold fighter, a side he had never seen before.

"Hey, Fenrir you still there or what? If you punk out on me I'll use my foot to pave the road with your ass!"

Chuckling slightly at the comment he straightened himself. "Don't worry Kisara, I'll show you what I did." He paused briefly. "Though we may need Thor's help for this. Don't ask why, just meet me at his ring in half an hour."

"Alright, but you'd better be there or else..." The line went slight as Naruto put his phone away before heading upstairs to get his Fenrir garb. Once he gathered his things he made his way to the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Naruto paused to see the girl looking at Naruto with her big purple eyes. His attention now on them Naruto was met with quite an interesting sight. Due to the incident at the market the pair hadn't been able to stock up on new supplies, which included tea. So they were for now left with what little food Hermit had managed to bring back with him. Now it had been all cooked together into a pile of orange rice with bits of fish and meat sticking out in various directions.

The sight of it made the Ninth Fist cringe, and yet what he found more surprising was that Hermit was actually eating it. _"What the hell? I'm upstairs for maybe two minutes and this happens? Geez, this just keeps getting weirder and weirder." _Shaking himself out of his thoughts he reached for the door.

"Sorry, I have to go take care of some things with my friends, I can't stay for the food. Nice meeting you though." He quickly made his way out of the door towards his destination.

"_Hopefully leaving him alone with that girl will help loosen him up a bit, who knows?"_

**-Ninth Fist End-**

_**Well there you go. I know its not nearly as exciting as my previous chapters but things have been a real pain in the ass for me these last few weeks. Long Story short, my parents bought a house and I had to help out a lot along with working at my mom's place of business which is less than satisfactory. On a more positive Note I have finally Started taking Capoeria Classes and learning the style myself. It's a load of fun and I know it will help provide me with some more inspiritaiton.**_

_**Now for a little bad news, I will be taking some time off from Ninth Fist to help catch up with Oracion Eight which has been severally neglected. I think after I write two, maybe three chapters I will work on this some more.**_

_Stuff to Address (Some things I know people will ask about and need to explain)_

_**Naruto becoming closer to Thor and Valykrie**__: This is a rather simple thing to explain. Of the Eight fists I felt that Thor, Valkyrie and Siegfried would be the easiest to connect to as unlike the others, they aren't crazy obsessed with perfection or the gang. They respect things like loyalty, friendship for the most part and I felt that would be the quickest to warm up to Naruto, though they still need some development they will become good allies for Naruto._

_**Naruto's Distrust of Loki and Odin:**__ In a sense Naruto as a result of all his training as both a ninja and his master has good skill at reading people. Namely who they are in terms of personality and behavior for the most part anyway. Even though he doesn't know them well, he can tell that Odin and Loki aren't the kind of people who are big of protecting their allies and would sooner throw them under a bus for power. His loyalty to Odin is only based on the fact said fist is the leader and Loki's is mainly from his gradtitude for Loki giving him people to be with. It's a thin line of loyalty that can be easily broken._

_**Naruto and Hermit: **__This is pretty straightforward but a little complicated. Naruto sees a lot of Sasuke in Hermit, almost like a reflection. However, unlike Sasuke who was more focused on Revenge, Hermit overall believes simply in being strong and never trusting anyone. As a result he is much harsher to Naruto then Sasuke used to be and this makes Naruto much tenser when he is around the guy. He doesn't hate him, if anything he actually would like to get to know him better but the guy won't let him. However, seeing Honoka bring out his softer side shows Naruto that Hermit is still capable of opening up to people. Something I intend to develop over time._

_**Naruto's Guilt: **__Okay now some people would probably wonder why Naruto would suggest said plan from the previous chapter. Well it was mainly one Naruto thought up while he was a bit angry. See Naruto is a __Dou__ type fighter and can at times let his anger control him and cloud his thoughts. He wanted to prove that Kenichi was a wimp once and for all which was the main goal of the plan. He didn't actually believe Kenichi would even show up to begin with and as a result partially blames himself for Siegfrieds injuries. Thus he is less likely to jump for plans that involve such underhanded tactics at the risk of a repeat with one of the other fists._

_**Naruto/Fenrir confusion: **__Okay one guy had some problems with this issue so I'll settle it here. As you can see I will often refer to Fenrir or Naruto's Alter ego as if he were a different character and Naruto as a result will behave differently as well. As to why well its simply because Naruto chooses to. I felt that to go with his new rank and identity among Ragnarock he would have to act more cold and hardcore so the others would take him seriously. Its also because Naruto still doesn't fully trust them as a result of what happened in Konoha and does so to close himself off from the group to an extent. When he isn't with the group and is Naruto he behaves more like his usual self so people outside of the gang don't know he is Fenrir and simply because he doesn't see the point in behaving that way when he isn't Fenrir. Its kind of like how Bruce Wayne acts like a billionaire playboy during the day but turns into a hard edged detective and hero when he is Batman. Its pretty much the same principle. _

_**Kenichi's Harshness to Honoka**_: _This is a result of his new declaration to become stronger. In the series Kenichi mainly trained so he wouldn't get his ass kicked and only started worrying about protecting people after Honoka was kidnapped. However, even before that he still took his training serious enough to tell Honoka to leave him be. This time around, Kenichi is more concerned about becoming stronger so he can protect Honoka and the others. As a result he is more dedicated to his training and even less happy about interruptions. Think of it as tough love, he was only harsh with her so that he would be able to protect her in the future._

**Omake: **Wrong Impression

The pair arrived at Natsu's house and the two martial artists put the girl on a nearby couch. "Hey idiot, get the first aid kit." Natsu spoke with a voice so full of contempt that it pissed the other blonde off immediately.

"Oh, of course your Majesty. Would you like me to fluff your pillow while I'm at it?" The mocking tone only angered Natsu the same way his little comment had done to Naruto.

"Every single time… can't you just once do what I say without making some dumbass comment?" As the pair bickered Honoka watched them with interesting. _"I feel like I've seen something like this before… but where?"_

As she thought about the matter the shouting match continued. "Maybe if you weren't such a lazy ass and did things for yourself once in a while we wouldn't have these arguments!" Naruto nearly shouted his voice laced with ice while Natsu remained unfazed. "Screw that, this is my house pal. As far as I'm concerned you should be down on your knees doing what I say like the dog you are!"

Naruto's eyes slowly hardened as he prepared to respond. Hermit geared himself up for the onslaught as his housemate was about to unleash his tirade.

"YAOI!"

The room became completely silent. The two blondes slowly turned their heads towards the girl, their necks making a sound similar to a rusty crane turning. Both guys were wearing horror stricken looks on their faces. The girl on the other hand had somehow managed to stand up despite her _injury _and was pointing at the pair with an odd smile on her face.

Naruto managed to muster up enough strength for the effort of choking something out. "What did you just say?" The girl merely looked at him. "That's what you guys are, right? Yaoi. You act just like the characters in a bunch of stories I read online."

No one said anything for a moment. Then in a motion so fast that his form blurred, Naruto dashed for the nearest potted plant and let loose everything he had eaten for the last two days. Hermit responded in a similar manner, only he had the grace to use the bathroom.

All the while Honoka merely looked at the pair with a confused face. "Huh, guess they must be sick."

_I figured this would be something Honoka might think upon seeing the way these two interact. _**Well that's all for now, see you next time with Oracion Eight. Till then, Agurra out.**


	10. Chapter 10

Yo everyone, Agurra of the Darkness back finally with the latest edition of the ninth Fist. First off I once again apologize for taking so long, but I'm back in school and its been a pain, plus I needed to update **Oracion Eight** as I had been neglecting that story for quite a while. But anyway I am back and expect to see some serious fighting, serious character development and few other things I can't wait to show you. So without further adue, LETS RAISE HELL!

**Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness does not own Naruto or Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple in any way shape or form. I do own the rights to Sol Silva however and I intend to have you learn more about him soon. If I had control of the series he would be a real character and Capoeira would be more prominent. **

***Ninth fist Start*******

""So Fenrir, I have a question."

"Sure Valkyrie. Shoot."

"You agreed to teach me some tricks so I can beat the Furinji bimbo the next time I see her, right?"

"Yeah, that's the gist of it."

"Well if that's the case… THEN WHY THE HELL AM I FIGHTING THOR AND NOT YOU?"

The red head's words quickly echoed throughout the massive steal lined, cube shaped pit she was currently standing in with the sumo wrestler Thor roughly ten feet away, an eager look on his face. The Taekwondo fighter's look of fury was currently focused on Fenrir, who was standing fifteen feet above the girl, overlooking her in the pit while being surrounded by a bunch of cheering Ragnarok members.

The group was currently situated in a rather large alley near an abandoned building that was being lit by torches attached to the walls. There were thugs of all kinds standing around, staring at the massive cube shaped pit of death in the center of the alley. Said location was Thor's own private fight club where gang members, thugs and other scum of the city could come to fight one another for money.

After he had received the phone call from Valkyrie, the Ninth Fist had informed his red haired comrade to meet him at said location to fulfill his previously made promise to teach the girl some new techniques. Naturally she believed this meant she and the mysterious fighter would be sparing, only for her to be shocked to find out it was Thor in the pit and not Fenrir which led to the shouting going around the alley, actually sounding over the chanting.

Fenrir merely sighed at the girl's anger. "Look Valkyrie, I said I would help train you and part of that requires you fighting with Thor. What's so hard to understand about that?"

The Eighth Fist stomped her foot in fury. "I thought you were going to teach me how to beat that bimbo Miu, not this lard ass!" She then pointed to Thor who didn't look exactly happy about the crack about his weight.

Again Fenrir merely shook his head before turning to Thor. "Sorry about this, Thor. I know this isn't exactly fun for you." The sumo however held an impassive look on his face. "Don't worry about it. You helped out Sieg, it's the least I can do - insults aside."

The hooded Fist then turned to Valkyrie. "Listen Valkyrie, I'll teach you how to fight Miu Furinji but first we need to work on your other problems." This remark merited a look of confusion on the girls face. "What problems?"

The Capoeira user quickly held up two fingers. "From what I've seen you have two major problems with your fighting style. Number 1 is that when faced with opponents with superior agility and flexibility, like Miu, your movements become rigid and slow, leaving you open to attacks. Number 2: when faced with a much larger opponent like Thor here your kicks become ineffective." The Fist then lowered his hand before pointing at Valkyrie. "In order for me to train you we need to work on solving both of these problems, the first being your difficulty in taking down larger opponents. Once we resolve that I'll work with you personally. "

Though there was much logic and forethought in his words, Valkyrie still didn't seem convinced. "I get what you're saying, but why can't I train with you first and then fight Thor? It seems like it would be a lot easier for me that way." The Ninth Fist however shook his head.

"Sorry Kisara, but from the way I see things it's like this: in order for you to properly learn what I intend to show you, you first need to learn how to deal with opponents like Thor. As for why, well… you'll have to figure that out on your own." He then turned to Thor who looked ready to go. "Alright you two, remember, this is a sparring match so don't try to kill each other but don't hold back too much either, especially you Thor. If you hold back too much she won't learn anything."

Seeing she wasn't going to get anything more from the hooded fighter she merely got into her stance and looked directly at Thor. "Alright, fine. If taking down this bloated bozo is all I have to do then I'll show you. Just watch and learn, Fenrir!" Though she seemed confident, Kisara was pretty uneasy. Truth to be told, Fenrir was dead on in his assumption that she was weak against larger opponents. Every time she fought someone larger than her it usually resulted in either her running away or someone saving her. Of course, that didn't mean she would give up. _"Not this time, no way in hell!"_

With the sound of the bell Kisara quickly leapt towards Thor who was making his way towards her with surprising speed given his size. The red head's eyes widened as the massive fighter unleashed a powerful palm thrust with his left hand. She quickly spun to avoid it before unleashing a powerful sidekick. The girl smirked as the kick made contact. Said grin dropped quickly when she saw Thor visibly unaffected by the kick.

"Nice try Valkyrie, but you're no match for a SUMO!" The giant fighter quickly unleashed another palm thrust, causing the distressed fighter to quickly jump back to avoid it. Thor merely continued on. "You can't dodge me forever!" This quickly proved to be true as Valkyrie soon found herself against a wall. "CRAP!"

"Gotcha!"

Her eyes widened as she saw Thor towering over her, his shadow blocking out the light. He geared up for another palm thrust and prepared to attack. Seeing no other option Valkyrie quickly unleashed a powerful high front kick to Thor's face. At first it seemed to stop him, causing Valkyrie to smile. However, Thor's massive hand quickly wrapped itself around Valkyrie's outstretched leg. "What do you think now Valkyrie, still think I'm a lard ass?"

With tremendous force the sumo quickly swung the girl by her leg before letting go of it, causing her to collide hard against the iron wall. Several of those present cringed at the sound while Fenrir merely looked down with a stony look on his face. Thor looked at the downed fighter with a cold gaze. "Is this really all you have Valkyrie? All that tough talk and this is all you have? Maybe if you didn't boost and brag so much you wouldn't be face down in the dirt right now."

Valkyrie could barely hear him, her ears ringing from the impact, her whole body still somewhat sore as she tried to get up. It took a little effort but she quickly got to her feet again and resumed her stance. The crowd cheered at the girl's defiance while Thor looked on with a satisfied face. "So you still have some fight in you. Good, guess you're not all talk after all."

Unfortunately Valkyrie was currently at her wits end and thinking of a solution. "_What the hell am I gonna do? None of my kicks are working and I don't have a lot of room to move around in here. If I don't find a way to make my kick stronger this fight isn't going to last much longer."_ Unfortunately the red head couldn't think much further as she quickly had to roll away, Thor's palm strike barely missing her.

"You really should keep your eyes open Valkyrie, otherwise you're just asking me to come in and attack you. Thor turned and quickly made his way towards Valkyrie who once again found herself narrowly dodging the giant sumo's attacks.

Eventually she found herself against the wall once more with Thor looking over her with a grin on his face that promised pain and caused Valkyrie to actually sweat. "Guess this is it. Sorry about this but hopefully you'll forgive me." Thor quickly brought both his hands together of his head and balled them together before bringing them down hard.

**"THOR'S HAMMER!"**

Valkyrie could only watch as the massive interlocked fists came towards her. She seemed unable to think of what to do. From up in the pit Fenrir watch the battle closely, his focus on the currently panicking girl. _"Come on Kisara, use your head. The solutions right there in front of you."_

The normally hotheaded girl didn't know what to do as she was for the most part blocked by the massive sumo's frame and about to be struck. On reflex she closed her eyes and almost immediately placed her foot back against the wall. Without even thinking she quickly pushed her foot forward, sending her rocketing away from Thor right between his legs before getting behind him.

Thor's attack stopped midway as he suddenly found his target gone and feeling a quick wind pass under him. Fenrir on the other hand smirked behind his face mask. "Looks like she finally figured it out, not intentionally but still, it's a step in the right direction."

Valkyrie however was still shocked that she had managed to get away, slowly getting to her feet again. _"I actually got away… but all I did was push myself off the walls and…. Wait, THAT'S IT!"_

Thor fully turned himself around to face his fellow Fist only to look in surprise as the once cowering girl now had a confident smirk on her face. "What are you smiling about? Finally decided to stop running and face me?"

Valkyrie didn't say anything at first only for her smirk to grow wider. "You could say that. Let's just say I won't need to be running anymore!" Thor smiled at the message, glad that his opponent wouldn't be running anymore and prepared to attack. "That's good to hear, even if you can't hurt me that doesn't mean we can't still have a decent match!" The sumo quickly took his ready stance as Valkyrie crouched slightly, ready to move and never losing her smirk.

Thor's eyes quickly lit up with excitement. "ALRIGHT, LETS GO!" He quickly charged her, only to facefault when she quickly turned around and ran in the opposite direction. "WHAT THE HELL? I thought you said you weren't gonna run anymore?"

Valkyrie quickly made her way to the iron wall before turning to the angry sumo, the smirk still on her face. "Whoever said I was running away?" Thor merely looked confused at the statement, as did many of those present. The only one not sharing the confusion was the only other Fist present.

Without missing a beat Valkyrie quickly leapt a few feet in the air before reeling both legs back on the wall and rocketing forward with incredible speed. Thor barely managed to duck out the way. "She's so fast, what the…UGH!" He couldn't complete his sentence as he was nailed with an airborne roundhouse kick to the face that actually managed to send him flying a few feet before landing hard on his back.

Valkyrie on the other hand landed gracefully on her feet whilst looking at her downed opponent with a satisfied look. If not for her desire to protect her tough girl image she would be jumping up and down in joy with a happy look on her face at finally knocking the massive fighter down.

But the celebration was cut short as Thor managed to get up again. "That was impressive, you actually managed to hurt me with that last kick. What happened?" Fenrir chose to be the voice of explanation, getting everyone's attention.

"She used her legs to propel herself off the walls and then used the increased momentum to strengthen her kicks. After you avoided her first attack she quickly rebounded off the wall behind you, taking advantage of the small space you're fighting in." Valkyrie's smile proved that Fenrir was dead on while Thor looked at Fenrir with interest. "So that's why you had us fight in here? So she'd learn how to use that trick?"

Fenrir nodded. "Exactly. Valkyrie's main problem in regards to fighting larger opponents was that their added muscle and girth drastically lessened the strength of her kicks to the point of rendering them ineffective. While she could make her kicks stronger with training, it would take a significant amount of time for it to yield good results. So for now Valkyrie can utilize this little trick to help add momentum to her kicks by using the environment to her advantage. It may not be a perfect solution but for now it's decent enough."

Thor nodded in understanding, still rubbing his bruised face before turning to Valkyrie who was still looking eager to fight. "Well, now that I know you can put up a better fight, let's get going!" Only to once again facefault when he quickly found Fenrir now in front of him.

Angrily the sumo jumped to his feet and angrily screaming at him. "WHAT THE HELL FENRIR? WHY DO YOU KEEP GETTING IN THE WAY?" Fenrir simply turned to him with an apologetic look on his face, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about this Thor but the main idea here is help Valkyrie learn some new techniques first. I'm glad you're so eager to fight but we can't lose sight of our original intention."

Thor didn't seem too satisfied at the answer only to notice Valkyrie trying to get his attention, "Don't worry about it Thor, if you want we can have another fight later. Only then it'll be more serious."

Most of the present thugs were staring at the normally cold and distant Valkyrie. She almost never acted this nice to anyone, especially to one of the other Fists. Truth was all the lower ranked members knew that despite being part of the same team, most of the Fists weren't exactly close and Valkyrie was no different. To see her being so chummy with Thor was pretty surprising.

Thor himself was pretty shocked but slowly broke out into a large grin. "Sure that sounds good I'll look forward to it." With that the sumo slowly managed to pull himself out of the ring, leaving Fenrir and Valkyrie inside.

Seeing his comrade vacate the ring Fenrir slowly turned to Valkyrie who looked eager to start. "Alright Valkyrie, now that you've managed to figure out the first part of the training it's time we get serious and work on what we came here to do." Fenrir then snapped his fingers, causing Valkyrie to look up and notice most of the thugs had gathered closely to the edge of the ring.

What surprised her more though was that five of the members had instruments in their hands. Two of them had tambourines; two more had some kind of large drums. However, what she found most strange was some kind of instrument that looked almost like a bow used by archers except it had a small gourd tied to the bottom.

Seeing her obviously curious expression Fenrir decided to enlighten her. "If you're wondering what's going on its quite simple. Those drums are known as Ngoma drums and that strange bow like item is called a Berimbau. In my fighting style of Capoeira, practitioners use those instruments to play music in what's known as a Roda, or circle, which is how Capoeira fighters spar. I felt it would help set the mood, so I taught a few of the guys how to play the instruments." Fenrir then took his jacket off, though revealing he had a bandana covering his hair leaving only his eyes still revealed.

Kisara slightly scowled at not being able to see the mysterious warriors face. Fenrir started to loosen himself out however as he talked. "Anyway, I figured it would make things more interesting having them here to play the music. After all, the music's meant to make this more fun." He seemed to smirk behind his mask at that remark.

Valkyrie though seemed a little unsure about the whole plan. "So basically we're just gonna fight each other and I'm supposed to figure out how to match your style and hope I don't get my ass handed to me? Don't you have any other training methods? Can't you use some of the methods this master you keep mentioning used?"

At that instant, Fenrir froze and a chill went down his spine as he recalled the times of his training. When he turned back to Valkyrie he had a frightened and somewhat uneasy look on what could be seen of his face. "Valkyrie, let me tell you: that's the last thing you ever want. Just thinking back to what I went through makes me feel uneasy. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to my master and what his trainings done for me, but even so it was still hell."

That got the girl's attention. She wasn't used to seeing the normally calm and cool-headed Fenrir on edge like that. Unable to contain her interest she posed the question. "So, what kind of training did you master put you through?"

His eyes suddenly glassed over as he recalled probably one of the most insane of his master's training methods. "It happened three months ago, in the middle of the ocean…"

(_Flashback: Three months ago in middle of the Ocean)_

_It had been almost two months since Naruto had begun his training with Sol and it had been easily the hardest training in his life. Without his chakra he quickly found his skills were seriously lacking, so the first two months Sol spent on building Naruto's strength and speed as well as making him flexible enough to properly use Capoeira._

_However, today Sol told him the training would start to be different and Naruto should prepare himself._

_Now on the massive ship, Naruto was standing at the front of the ship, ready and waiting. "I wonder what Sol-sensei has planned? He said to be prepared for something different, though I wonder what he meant…"_

_"Hey, mind if I intrude on your train of thought?"_

_Naruto quickly stopped his thoughts to see the smiling face of his new Capoeira master. Of course Naruto returned the smile given all that Sol had done for him so far but also because he was eager to see what was going to happen._

_Not interested in wasting any time Sol pretty much got straight to the point. "Alright Naruto, now that we've managed to get most of your conditioning training out of the way it's time we start working on your more serious training. First we'll work on your reaction time and movements."_

_Naruto seemed slightly confused at his words though it didn't take long for Sol to elaborate. "One of the most basic aspects of Capoeira is to never stop moving and also being ready to dodge, or attack your enemy regardless of what stance or position you're in. Now then, first off Naruto I'm going to have to ask you to remove your shirt and shoes if you please."_

_Now that request seemed a little odd, giving Naruto a faint sense of déjà vu as he recalled his early training with Jiraya. Then again, seeing how both had turned out rather well and Sol had yet to steer him wrong he complied._

_It was fair to say that Sol's training had done some serious work with Naruto's physicality. Originally he didn't have much muscle, since most ninjas were built for speed and relied on chakra to handle the strength. Now however he was well built with well-defined and sculpted muscles, though like his masters weren't big and bulky to restrict his movement._

_Once it was done, Sol nodded before pointing to the bowsprit of the ship. "Good, now I want you to stand and balance yourself on the bowsprit." Of course Naruto turned to his master, looking a little uneasy and questioning the somewhat absurd task. Sol merely looked at him. "Don't give me that look, it's meant to help you improve your balance, agility and reaction time. It would be too easy and boring if you did it on the floor. Now go on."_

_Naruto, hesitant at first, eventually and with some effort managed to balance himself on the stick attached to the bow of the boat. Unfortunately he had his back to his master, which proved to be a mistake._

_"Good work Naruto, now for the last part."_

_At this point Naruto heard what sounded like his master lifting up some metal object, which produced a strange sloshing noise. "Uh Sol Sensei what exactly are you…"_

_(Splosh)_

_Naruto quickly found himself gagging, coughing and holding back vomit as the smell, feel and taste of dead fish overwhelmed his senses and covered his whole body. Sol was standing not too far away with a now empty bucket that was once filled with the chum he was now drenched in, a satisfied look on the master's face._

_With a grin he put the bucket down. "Good, now we're all set to begin." He spoke only to duck out of the way to avoid a fish head that was thrown by his now slime covered and pissed off disciple._

_"WHAT THE HELL IS THE IDEA OF COVERING ME IN F#%^KING FISH GUTS? THIS STUFF SMELLS LIKE PUKED UP SHIT!" Naruto's temper had come under some control over his time on the ship, but who wouldn't go ballistic if they were covered from head to toe in chum?_

_Sol simply developed a playful look on his face. "Now now Naruto, I can assure you that there is a method to my madness." His eyes drifted to the ocean before gaining a smirk. "And wouldn't you know it, my method/madness has arrived. I would recommend you get ready to move."_

_Naruto's fury was replaced with confusion as he noticed his master's eyes focusing on the water. He quickly noticed the water moving as well as a large grey object on the surface of the water moving towards him. He couldn't make it out at first but after he got close enough his eyes widened considerably._

_"Oh F%#K me!"_

_Those were the only words he could make out before a massive twenty foot long Great White Shark leapt out of the water its Jaws opened, ready to chew through the blonds now chum covered body._

_Sol merely watched as the massive demon of the sea closed in on his disciple tightly clenching his hands over his arms. "Come on Naruto, don't just stand there you know what to do."_

_Naruto quickly knocked himself out of his stupor enough to jump above the massive beast while flipping backwards to avoid its dorsal fin. As he flipped over and his head turned back he watched as his eyes were just a few inches from the high blade like appendage of the beast._

_The creature quickly dove back into the ocean as Naruto made his descent back to the bowsprit. Moving quickly he managed to position his feet to land on the wood only to panic when they started to slip as they contacted. The distraught blond flung out his arms for balance and clamped down hard with his toes to keep himself from falling off. However, he found this to be extremely hard given the slippery chum covered surface of the bowsprit._

_Sadly he didn't have much time to regain his footing or balance as another shark of roughly the same size jumped out of the water on his left side and was headed straight towards him. Naruto could only look at the beast's massive maw with a dry look on his face. "Oh, f%$k me sideways."_

_Sol on the other hand continued to watch as his disciple frantically leapt and danced on the chum soaked pole, trying his hardest to stay on the surface but finding it to be progressively difficult. "Sorry Naruto but you'll have to learn this soon enough. Due to the chum the pole is too slippery to stand on and because it's so narrow you don't have much room to land on. The only way to avoid the sharks is to keep moving and planning your next moves out before you make contact with the pole. At first it may seem difficult but under these extreme conditions you'll learn how to do it out of reflex pretty soon. It may seem a little cruel but to become a true master of Capoeira you just have to be a little extreme sometimes." Although, he'd have to be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying the survival show._

_Naruto panted slightly as he continued to leap and move rather clumsy while trying to avoid falling into the shark filled ocean, only to find it becoming more difficult with more and more sharks somehow appearing out of nowhere. "What the hell is with all these damn sharks?"_

_His eyes turned to Sol now happily seated and eating an apple while watching his disciple. "I think I forgot to mention that this particular location is a popular spot for Great White Sharks. They often come here during mating season. Which just happens to be right now." He gained a somewhat innocent look on his face that made Naruto want to kick him. "Did I really forget to mention that?"_

_Naruto quickly grabbed the pole with one hand and held tight, trying to keep the rest of his body up. Sweat mixed with fish chum was sliding down his face as he breathed in and out, only for his eyes to widen at the familiar sound of a shark erupting from the ocean as it headed towards him. Naturally Naruto pushed himself up to avoid it, only to discover another shark had leapt out just seconds later and was right on top of him._

_The blond stared into the black abyss that was the creature's mouth, his eyes focused on the pale white teeth that promised to rip him to shreds. At that moment he could actually feel his heart beating as the world slowed down around him. The creature slowly drifted closer and closer while the ex ninja remained in the air, watching as if it were a movie. As it inched closer he could feel his heartbeat grow louder and louder till it was pounding like a massive drum._

_At that moment a strange but familiar beat filled the air. Just as the beast was a few feet from his face, Naruto's body moved on its own to the music's command._

_(Smash)_

_His - and the shark's - eyes widened considerably as his left leg shot up high, his foot smashing into the beast's bottom jaw with immense force. Naruto cringed slightly at the feel of the shark's rough skin as his leg contacted with its jaw. The shark itself slowly curved up and backwards before doing a back flop hard onto the sea._

_Naruto merely watched the shark fall before turning his attention to his slowly descending body, all the while following the sound and beat of the music. His eyes quickly took note as two more shark fins closed in of the bowsprit. Without thinking the blond's body slowly began to once again move on its own, and yet Naruto knew exactly what was going to happen._

_He slowly leaned forward, extending both arms and watching as the two titans like beats rose from the ocean, both determined to chew him up. However, once Naruto reached the pole he gripped it as tightly as possible before rotating his hips while doing a full split with his legs. Quickly releasing his right hand he spun it along with his hips before grabbing the pole again._

_His extended legs both spun with great speed and force, each striking one of the sharks hard on the side of their faces, redirecting the pair back into the sea._

_Naruto quickly found his grip slipping while noticing another shark ready to attack. He prepared to move, once again hearing the familiar beat being playing. With a smirk he pushed himself up before spinning his body and flipping forward, quickly brining his leg directly into the beasts face. All the while he listened to both the beat of his heart and the beat of the music, as if the pair moved in perfect sync._

_Sol watched the spectacle with a massive grin on his face, all the while playing his own berimbau, shifting himself slightly to his own musical beat. He continued to watch as Naruto danced and dueled with the sharks. "Not bad Naruto, with a little practice, you'll be able to do this without the music or anything pretty soon. Still, your movements are still pretty rigid and your timing needs some work. Still, good work."_

_Naturally Sol also took note that his disciple, despite his display, was getting slower with a great deals of sweat dripping down his body and an exerted look on his face. Sol merely shook his head with a sigh. "Still, even with the training he still needs a lot of work; can't expect him to become a pro over night."_

_Naruto on the other hand was by now struggling to keep moving, the music had helped to get him into motion but even that couldn't help his growing fatigue. True, he still had a pretty amazing stamina but the constant moving, striking and dodging he was doing was extremely taxing and the blond could feel himself slowly ending up on his last leg._

_Having managed to kick another shark away he positioned his feet to make contact with the pole, preparing for another airborne move, only for him to slip off and his eyes to widen. He quickly tried to grab the bowsprit only to notice four sharks all jump out at once on him. This time around Naruto didn't have anything to support him, nor enough strength to move. He watched as they closed in, only to notice the music had stopped._

_"Well, I think that's enough for now."_

_The blond watched with great shock as his master rocketed off the deck of the ship before flipping forward, spreading his legs wide and rotating his body with such speed that he seemed to create a small cyclone. His legs crashed into the massive beasts with such force they not only left an actual dent into the beasts bodies but Naruto could actually see countless teeth fly out like bullets. Each creature flew far through the air, easily a couple hundred yards before they were nothing but small dots in the distance._

_Naruto however, to distracted by his masters display noticed he was no longer falling and instead once again on the deck of the ship. Sol towered over him with a cheeky grin on his face. The blond who was covered in sweat, chum and had just survived countless shark attacks was speechless._

_Sol simply continued to smile at him before speaking. "Nice work Naruto, I hope you're ready to go again soon, 'cause we aren't gonna stop till you send those sharks flying too!"_

_At that point, either from exhaustion, shock or the foul smell of fish mixed with sweat and sea water, the blond promptly passed out._

_Sol simply looked at him with a smile still present on his face. "Ah well, we'll pick this up later. I'll let you sleep it off for a bit."_

_(Flashback end_)

"I still get nightmares about those experiences. He made me go through that same psychotic routine for 7 hours straight everyday for 3 weeks before I finally got it down. Took me forever to get the smell of fish out of my clothes." Fenrir went on about his master's "training" method, not noticing the outright bewildered looks on all those present, none more so than Valkyrie, whose eyes looked about ready to fly out of her head.

Finally noting the silence the Ninth Fist turned his head to the still shell-shocked Taekwondo practitioner. "Uh, everything okay?"

Valkyrie didn't move at first before slowly coming out of her obvious pause. "Your master made you fight Great White Sharks for three weeks while balancing yourself on a pole?" Her tone made it clear she simply couldn't comprehend anyone doing something so, well, crazy.

Fenrir merely nodded, still feeling somewhat nostalgic recalling his training time with his master. "Yep Sol-sensei is a bit eccentric. Though I can't really argue with the results. You can see why I can't really use the same method to teach you." His face suddenly gained an eerie dark look. "Unless of course you want to give it a try. I'm pretty sure I could arrange it… somehow."

Valkyrie suddenly paled as she envisioned herself desperately clinging to a pole while sharks tried to take a bite out of her, not to mention being coated in fish guts. Her pride taking a back seat she humorously shook her head violently from side to side. "No, no way no thanks this is good."

At that point Fenrir simply chuckled at her reaction. "Kind of figured you'd see things my way." His face then slowly shifted to its serious look. "Now then, let's begin."

He snapped his fingers, getting the attention of the members holding the instruments above. "Okay guys, like we rehearsed: Zum Zum Zum. Let's go!"

The one holding the berimbau nodded as the others got into position. He took a deep breath before slowly strumming the string creating a slow rhythmic beat. As he began soon the ones on the nygoma drums and the tamborinnes began to play. Pretty soon the group was playing in sequence creating a very odd but rather beautiful rhythm that slowly caused the others to start clapping in sequence to the music.

Then finally, the leader began to sing it what appeared to be Portuguese and like before the others around him started to sing was well, all the while still clapping.

(Insert Zum Zum Zum actual Capoeira music here's a link: .com/watch?v=WxGZuC5VaK8)

Valkyrie watched all this transpire a little uncomfortable at first, yet as it went on she actually found the beat to be both soothing and strangely energizing. She actually felt the need to start dancing to the music herself.

"It's nice isn't it?"

Valykrie was taken from her thought to find Fenrir already in his Ginga, moving in a loosened stance all the while taking in the music around him. "Have to say, I was a little confused about the music at first but after some time I just couldn't help but love listening to it. It just has the kind of beat that makes you want to dance, doesn't it?"

The red head smirked at him. "Funny, never took you for much of a dancer." Fenrir returned with a smile of his own. "I'm a man of many talents, though it helps that Capoeira takes elements of both Martial Arts and dancing together. You pretty much have to know how to dance to use it properly, not like I'm complaining."

He adopted a more serious but somewhat excited look. "Now then, let's see how you handle yourself with my techniques."

Valkyrie of course got excited as well, the music only adding to her anxiousness. "Bring it on pal!"

At the sound of the next drum beat Valkyrie kicked herself on the wall before rocketing towards Fenrir, determined to lay him out. "To bad you had to go and teach me how to make my kicks stronger, now I'm gonna have to lay you out in front of your little band!" She unleashed a powerful flying front kick, determined to hit him straight on.

As she drew closer Fenrir still remained in Ginga never losing his smirk. "You should know Valkyrie that without proper control and mobility - " Just before her foot made contact he leaned back far enough that she flew right over him. He quickly placed his hands on the ground before lifting his right leg up fast and the slamming it into Valkyries back, who due to her position couldn't evade it. As she hit the ground Fenrir flipped to his feet before resuming his Ginga. His eyes still focused on her before finishing his statement. " - All that extra powers becomes your greatest weakness."

The Eighth Fist was battered but not beaten as she quickly leapt back to her feet. Her attention now focused on the still moving Fenrir she slowly moved herself into her fighting stance. "Fine, if that won't work, guess I'll just have to kick your ass the old fashion way."

Without hesitation she charged forward towards the dancing warrior, determined to lay him out. Fenrir merely shook his head, "Oh if only it were that easy."

The red headed girl was quick to attack, striking with a side kick which Fenrir managed to dodge easily by once again bending backwards, all the while maintaining his momentum. However, Kisara quickly took advantage of his position, raising her still extended leg up high before bringing it down hard.

**"AXE KICK!"**

Fenrir however proved too fast as he quickly leapt backwards, landing on one hand before quickly rotating his whole body to the left and extending his left leg straight out. Valkyrie couldn't react fast enough as Fenrir quickly swept her unguarded leg, causing her to fall backwards. Unfortunately she never met the ground as Fenrir hand rotated some more to the right before flipping his body and then planting his right foot hard on the ground, kicking upwards with his left leg and using his left hand for balance. The kick struck the airborne girl hard in the back, many of those present cringing at the sound as they watched her body bend back as her spine was pushed forward.

It was even worse for Valkyrie. Saliva and blood flew out of her mouth, along with most of the air in her body. Thankfully Fenrir didn't put too much power into the kick as she quickly flew off his foot into the air. That said she still landed flat on her back, meriting another cringe from all those present.

As she slowly flipped herself over, trying to get up while coughing hard, Fenrir actually looked at her with an impressed face. "That was surprising, I was worried there for a second. I take it this has happened before?"

Most of those present looked at Fenrir with confusing looks on their faces, not sure what he was talking about. Thor however seemed to understand. "It happened before she hit the ground. Normally after taking a hit like that and then colliding with the ground most people would be unconscious or dead. Valkyrie however managed to raise her head up enough so it didn't collide straight with the ground and positioned her feet flat so it would absorb some of the impact. Doing so lessened the damage and kept her in this fight, if only barely."

Valkyrie, who still found it somewhat hard to breath, tried to push herself to her feet while Fenrir stood by. "It's a good thing you did that, otherwise I'm not quite sure what would have happened to you. Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not aiming to kill you but I figured if I didn't take this seriously you'd be pissed off."

He waited for a response, which he got after Valkyrie finally got to her feet again, though her legs were still shaky. Her face however held confidence. "You're damn right I'd be pissed off, I'm not looking for a handicap here. I don't care how many times you have to knock me flat on my ass, I'm not stopping." Fenrir smirked at her defiance before thinking back to his earlier statement. "So I take it something like that happened to you before?"

Valkyrie seemed confused at his implication. "Before you hit the ground, you instinctively raised your head and positioned your feet to lessen the impact and damage. Most people don't react that way unless they've experienced it at some point in the past." It didn't surprise Fenrir that Valkyrie's face quickly hardened at his implication, didn't take much for him to figure it out. "It happened with Miu Furinji, didn't it?"

He expected Valkyrie to fly off the handle into a rage, but oddly enough her face actually adopted a sort of sad look, like she was at some kind of impasse. "Yeah, it happened when I first fought that bitch. I went in all confident that I could beat her, but nothing I did worked, she just danced around me without any trouble. I got so pissed off I tried to kick her and left myself open, would've cracked my skull on the pavement if she hadn't saved me." At that point the frustrated Fist clutched her hands hard in anger. "First her and now you, the same thing happened and the only thing that's different is that I now know how to make it so my fall doesn't hurt as much. What the hell do I have to do to keep up with people like you and her?"

"Well, you could try being a little more mobile for one."

Valkyrie looked at Fenrir completely in the dark about his words. "Huh?"

The Capoeira fighter pinched his nose at the girl's response before signaling the band to stop. He then made his way over to the girl. "Look Kisara, the reason Miu and myself were able to knock you down so easy is because your fighting style is so rigid."

The Taekwondo fighters face took on an offended look. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, something wrong with the way I fight?"

"No, that's not the problem. Listen, Taekwondo is a very effective fighting style, no doubt about that. However, think of it this way: my fighting style of Capoeira is similar to yours as we both mainly use kicks. Yet despite that the difference is that your style focuses on strong kicks, typically from stationary stances. My style on the other hand relies on more rhythmic movements in conjunction with kicks. This done to allow greater mobility and also allows me to alter my stance or body position more freely."

He then stood in front of Valkyrie. "Alright Valkyrie, I'd like you to perform a simply front side kick if you please." The Ninth Fist quickly found the girl's boot in his face, feeling slight pain from the strike. Those present chuckled at his pain while Valkyrie held a playful smirk on her face.

"Not exactly what I was going for but whatever." He proceeded to move out of the way of her boot clad foot and then moved to her side. Valkyrie seemed a bit uneasy at his actions. "You'd better not try anything weird pal or the next kick's gonna hurt a lot more."

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, let's look at your stance. Right now you have you left leg extended with your right leg placed flat on the floor. A good stance for a typical kick, that if it manages to connect would do a decent amount of damage. However, therein lies the problem. See in this position if the kick misses you're left wide open and - " Without even hesitating he quickly swept her leg causing her to fall on her butt hard. " - I'm able to do that to you."

The Ninth Fist quickly leapt back to avoid a hard punch from the downed girl who was now rubbing her sore rear. "You didn't have to knock me flat on my ass you know." She dusted herself off and got back to her feet. "Okay, so basically if I just stand in place like a statue it's the same as putting a sign on my face that says "Knock me down, I won't fight back"?"

"Not exactly in those words but yeah, that's the general idea. Truthfully, all you need to do is learn to be lighter on your feet so to speak." Valkyrie seemed somewhat confused by the concept and pondered it for a few moments before gearing herself up to continue.

"Alright, I think I get what you're saying. Let's keep going." Fenrir smiled behind his mask. "Well, she's definitely got a lot of drive and passion. Now if only I could fix her personality, though maybe that's asking for too much."

With a snap of his fingers the band resumed their music as Fenrir got back into his stance. "Alright Valkyrie, let's resume where we left off. I won't pull any punches, so get ready!"

The Eighth Fist actually smiled a bit in response. "No problem." All those around them clapped and cheered in conjunction to the music while Thor watched, generally enjoying himself along with the others. _"Have to say, Siege was right about Fenrir. He's not just a great fighter but also a good teacher and a pretty decent person all around. Actually makes being in Ragnarok a lot more fun, especially with that music of his."_ The Sumo paused for a moment turning his attention to the one playing the beriumbau.

_"I wonder if he could teach me to play that thing too…?"_

(Scene Change, Ryozanpaku, later in the afternoon)

"Are you sure you should be up Miu? I mean, you're still pretty injured."

"Don't worry about it Kenichi, it's just a scratch. Besides, this place would fall apart without me."

Kenichi, currently taking a break from his more rigorous training session, had dropped his more dedicated attitude for one of worry as he attempted to persuade his potential love interest to go back to resting - and was failing miserably at it. "Come on Miu, I'm glad you finally woke up and all, but I really don't think you should be moving around so quickly."

Much to the relief of everyone at the dojo Miu had finally woken up from her excursion with Fenrir. Thankfully with the help of Kensei and Akisame, most of her injuries had been for the most part lessened. Kenichi was as expected especially happy that she was finally up but he was also still uneasy. His eyes focused on the bandages currently wrapped around her abdomen that were covering the burn from Fenrir's kick, visible near the bottom of the t-shirt she was wearing.

Miu of course wasn't discouraged and was moving around relatively well but she could see Kenichi's uncomfortable look at her abdomen. With a sincere smile on her face she tried to ease his troubles. "Don't worry Kenichi, I'm fine. I appreciate that you're worrying about me but it's nothing to get so excited about." The blond slowly turned, only to cringe and clutch her abdomen.

Kenichi was quickly at her side. "See, you're in no shape to be moving around. You should be resting." The cat-loving blonde tried to argue, only to be overturned by a second opinion.

"He's right Miu." Both pairs of eyes turned to find Akisame standing in the doorway, somehow having snuck up on them. "You shouldn't be moving around so much. True, we took care of most of your injuries but that burn on your stomach still needs time to properly heal and moving around too much could aggravate it."

"Apa, Akisame and Kenichi are right Miu, you should take better care of yourself if you want to get better, Apa!" Apachai added his own two cents, currently in the middle of getting his butt handed to him at Othello by Kenichi's little sister Honoka, who came back not too long ago.

Despite her somewhat childlike distain for Miu she could of course see that she was in bad shape. "They're right blondie, you should just listen to them and go back to bed, that way you'll stay away from my brother." The last part she whispered to herself.

Miu's eyes darted back and forth between those around her and eventually she sighed, seeing that she couldn't win. "Alright fine, but you guys better not tear up or burn down the house." Her response merited smiles from the others as she slowly made her way back to her room.

Kenichi slowly took his eyes off his friend's retreating form before turning his attention to his sister who had just defeated the "Death God" of the Muay Thai underworld for the tenth time in the last two hours. His face became serious. "Okay, now that we've dealt with that I'd like to know where you've been all this time. I was worried about you when I found out from mom that you didn't go straight home."

Honoka simply turned to her brother and stuck out her tongue at him. "You said you didn't want to hang out with me so I left and met these really cool guys who were really nice to me."

Kenichi of course didn't take that message very well. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU HUNG OUT WITH TOTAL STRANGERS?"

The little girl however, didn't seem to see the actual harm in her words as she kept speaking. "Yeah, well first they saved me from these thugs but I scrapped my knee so they brought me to their house where they fixed it up." That response only served to cause her brother to freak out even more at the prospect.

Unfortunately she quickly zoned out her brother's growing breakdown as she continued to relay the events. "Yeah, they were really nice. Well actually one of them was nice and the other guy was kind of mean. Still, they were really cool, but the nice one had to leave pretty quickly which left me with the mean one. Though I cooked for him and even made him laugh, he wasn't so bad at all, really."

Kenichi however, couldn't hear his sister's words as the only thoughts running through his mind were: _"Little sister, stayed with strangers, with them for hours."_

Honoka however stopped her musings for a moment before thinking about something. "I wonder where that nice guy ended up?"

(Scene change, streets roughly same time)

"Crap, Crap CRAP! Man I'm gonna be late!"

Naruto looked at his watch while running as fast as his legs could carry him, at least without looking totally out of place. Of course he was still running at a pace that would make most marathon runners pass out after about 6 minutes.

It had taken some time but he'd managed to work things out with Valkyrie, who was pretty grateful for the help. He would have stayed longer but he had remembered that he had another prior engagement. Namely his shift at Gekirin.

"Oh man, if I'm late again Renka will chew my ass out until I turn sixty." He was barely able to get back to the house, change out of his Fenrir clothes and run as fast as he could to the district while avoiding his obviously angry roommate.

As he continued to sprint his eyes focused on the entrance to the Gekirin just a few blocks away. "Too close to call, better gun it." Truthfully he was only running at about half of his true speed so he wouldn't reveal his true skills to those around him. In this case however, it was totally worth the risk.

Like a rocket he took off leaving a trail of dust in his wake, all those around him felt a gust of wind rush by them, only seeing a faint yellow blur. Naruto quickly closed the gap to the Gekirin till he was just a block away. "Almost there!"

Just as he was about to reach the door they suddenly shot open, smacking him square in the face and sending him flying backwards into a small stand. All eyes turned to the destruction with looks of awe, confusion and shock. Naruto slowly rubbed his head before muttering out an "ow", only to look up as a shadow was over him. Hesitating a little he slowly raised his blue eyes, only to feel a cold chill go down his spine.

"You're late again Naruto." The chill increased as his eyes met the icy stare of his beautiful though currently angry co-worker/friend Renka Ma. Thinking of nothing else to help break the ice he simply muttered out.

"Hey Renka, what's up?"

The Blue haired girl didn't say anything at first, her eyes shadowed but Naruto could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Slowly he could see a dark aura rise around her as she started to crack her knuckles. Truth was he could fight her and probably beat her. The problem though was that she was his friend and someone he really cared about, so he couldn't strike her. Good decision in a normal sense, but unfortunately it pretty much meant in situations like this he was pretty much screwed. Thus all he could let out was a slight "meep" as Renka's eyes seemed to be glowing with fury and frustration at him.

"I'll show you what's up!"

(One Brutal asskicking and violent verbal chewing out later)

"Hey Naruto, would you like some ice for your face or for your pride." Shokatsu snickered as he barely managed to form the words due to his amusement. He looked at his co-worker's bruised face and his snickering only grew louder. Naruto managed to glare at him despite his current condition. "Piss off, I'm not in the mood."

Sadly the cook wasn't going to let it go. "My goodness Naruto, such a temper on you! I'm surprised, the way you act around Renka I almost thought you got off on her kicking your ass." His laughter however, was silenced at the familiar sound of dishes and food splattering on the ground.

His mirth was lost as he glared at Naruto who had a smirk of his own on his face. "Oops, sorry about that. I think I'm still a little off balance from the asskicking I just so love to "get off" on."

Shokatsu slowly made his way over to Naruto intent on strangling him, only to be held back by Ryu. "Come on man, you kind of had that coming. Now go back to the kitchen before you and Naruto wreck the restaurant further." Seeing no point in arguing with his friend, especially since his solution meant the least amount of wasted food, he returned to the kitchen.

All the while this was going on Renka was busy watching Naruto from the balcony above. However, she had a somewhat sad look on her face as she focused on the bruises on the boy's body. "Maybe I went a little overboard… I just wanted to teach him a lesson."

"Having trouble in the world of love, Renka?"

The blue haired girl jumped and clamped her hands over her mouth to avoid screaming as she turned around, only to find Hakubi standing behind her with a smile on his face.

Renka quickly tried to compose herself and save face by straightening herself out. "What're you talking about Master Hakubi, I'm not interested in that idiot. After all, why would I beat him up so much if I liked him?" Hakubi however wasn't fooled as he could see the red on her face before holding up his hand to make her stop.

"Please Renka, you can't lie to an old man, especially in the ways of romance." Naturally Renka became somewhat more withdrawn and shy as she seemed to contemplating her actual feelings for the blond. "Well, I mean I like Naruto a lot but I'm not sure about..."

Hakubi merely chuckled at the girl's reservation before looking to the ceiling. "Ah, to be young and have a crush again... You know, looking back your relationship with Naruto is almost exactly like the one your father and mother had when they were your age." Renka's eyes quickly widened as her blush increased at what the master was insinuating.

He continued to think back. "In many ways Naruto is like your father was back when he was this young. Dark, mysterious and seemingly holding an enormous, secretive weight on his shoulders." The master's face hardened behind his glasses. "Your father was a very broken man after his brother was banished from China. I was surprised to see the once vibrant and lively person he used to be reduced to such a hollow shell."

At that moment his face softened before looking at Renka and Naruto, picturing Renka's parents in his mind. "Then your father met your mother and it didn't take too long for her to pull him out of his funk. Oh, they argued and fought with each other so often it makes what you two are doing seem like an ideal conversation. Still, despite all their bickering I'd never seen Kensei as happy and alive back then as when he was with your mother. I believe that if it hadn't been for her your father might have followed a similar path to Sougetsu. The same can be said of you and Naruto perhaps."

Renka's mind thought about what she had been told while looking at Naruto and feeling her heart beat increase, causing her to slightly clutch her chest. Hakubi merely smiled before slowly walking towards the stairs. "Naruto is a fine young man but it's obvious that like your father he holds a deep wound over his heart that only a special person can help heal and I haven't seen him more alive and happy than when he is with you. I'm not saying you have to do anything Renka, only that if your heart tells you to act you should follow it. But make sure to take it slowly."

He then headed down the stairs while Renka was busy thinking about what she'd been told. "_Maybe Master Hakubi's right… I do care about Naruto and he makes me feel happier than anyone else. Even though I don't know much about him and he still keeps secrets from me."_ After contemplating some more she came to a decision. "Alright, I'll give it a shot but I'll take it slowly at first." With confidence the young girl prepared to make her move when a thought stopped her cold. _"WHAT THE HELL DO I SAY TO HIM?"_

(Achoo)

"Hey Naruto, you alright? You don't have cold or anything, do you?"

"Nah, I'm fine Ryu."

"Huh, then maybe someone special is talking about you."

"Yeah sure, knowing my luck it's probably Shokatsu talking about what ways he wants to turn me into tonight's special."

Hakubi merely sweat dropped at the boys' words while looking back at Renka, who still seemed somewhat hesitant to approach him and confused on her exact approach. "_Seems like this could take a little longer than I thought."_

(Scene change, Night, Tanimoto mansion. Sorry, I know you want Naruto and Renka interaction but that's not the focus of this chapter.)

"Geez, what the heck was up with Renka today? Every time I got near her she got all red in the face and started stuttering all of a sudden. Well, at least she didn't kick me the face like Kisara did. Man, girls are confusing." The Ninth Fist said to himself as he made his way into the house, having finished his shift with some rather odd interaction from Renka who had still been somewhat shaken from her conversation with Hakubi.

Though Naruto did feel some connection with the girl his skills with women were still below par and it would take more time for him to fully figure them out. However, for now he was focused on just sitting down and contemplating the day's events. Or that's what he would have liked to do if he hadn't gotten a fist to the face courtesy of Natsu.

(Smash)

"Was that really necessary?"

The pretty boy blond gave him a cold look. "That's for leaving me to babysit the brat all day you bastard." Naruto just walked past him, rubbing his now sore face before planting himself in a seat. "Well, excuse me. I just figured some social interaction would do you some good instead of just sitting in here all day."

The Sixth Fist however wasn't amused. "Don't give me that crap, you did that just to piss me off and it worked. My god, that girl was annoying. She ran around the house like crazy, broke a few very valuable antiques and to top it off made me eat that pile of orange slop." Naruto actually looked at the normally cold Fist in surprise. True, he still had the cold look on his face but the ex-shinobi could see a hint of life in his eyes. It was faint but still there.

"You know, for someone who claims to have hated spending time with the girl you sure seem to remember the events quiet well. More importantly, I figured you'd have thrown her to the curb the second I left. Congratulations, you just went up a notch from being a complete asshole to somewhat of a douche bag, well done." The Ninth Fist quickly ducked to avoid a plate that had been chucked at him. With a dry look he turned to the plate. "You know you're gonna have to replace that." His roommate let out a frustrated growl, causing the Ninth Fist to slightly harden his own look.

"I don't see what your problem is. From what I can tell you genuinely enjoyed having that girl around and you can act all stuck up and broody all you want, it doesn't change anything." His response actually caused Hermit to become somewhat angry.

"Listen pal, what I do and how I act is none of your business. You don't know anything about me and wouldn't understand anything at…."

"You mean about your late little sister?"

Those words stopped the Sixth Fist cold as his eyes widened while his mind flashed to the image of a young girl with long blond hair and purple eyes, gasping for air from a respirator. "Kaede…" He briefly muttered out with his eyes shadowed over before slowly looking at Naruto with a face so cold it could have frozen the devil himself.

"How the hell do you even know about that?"

Naruto face remained impassive at first, not at all phased by the boy's harsh glare before letting out a sigh. "The picture you freaked out about, the one that girl from earlier looked at." The kempo user's eyes darted over to the picture frame that he had put face down, only to find it was back up, revealing a much younger and smiling Natsu. Behind him was a tall well dressed man with brown hair and a moustache, next to him was a young beautiful looking woman with brown hair done in a ponytail. Finally next to Natsu was a young girl with hair and eyes similar to Natsu's, holding a doll in her arms with a massive smile on her face. They all looked happy, far different from the person now glaring at Naruto with a look of absolute hatred.

"You had no right to touch that you son of a bitch!" As always Naruto wasn't fazed as he continued to speak. "Give the tough guy act a rest for a moment, Hermit. I admit it probably wasn't best to invade into your past but even so that doesn't mean you have to act like such an asshole all the time." The angry Sixth Fist clutched his hands as his rage built while he remained silent. Naruto's face however softened as his eyes drifted to the picture frame. "When I saw that picture it didn't take me long to put things together. I figured that since I hadn't seen any of those people in the house and you never mentioned them it must have meant they had died in some way. It's also pretty obvious that your sister was your only blood relative since she actually looks like you. I guess something must have happened to her that made you the way you are now."

His face once again hardened as he turned to Natsu, who by now was barely keeping himself from attacking the blond who remained steadfast. "You may find this hard to believe but I do understand how painful it can be to lose someone important to you. Even so you shouldn't stay so chained to the past; you'll only end up holding yourself back and hurting the people around you." He then paused thinking back to Sasuke. "After all, I'm pretty sure your sister wouldn't want you to be like this."

That was the last straw. Natsu completely lost his composure and attacked Naruto with a look of absolute fury in his eyes. "WHAT THE HELL COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT HER?" He slashed out with a knife hand strike but Naruto was able to easily block the attack with his right leg. Hermit however wasn't dissuaded as he thrusted his other hand straight for the blonde's throat.

Using his leg Naruto quickly pushed himself off the couch which was pierced by the frustrated Fist's knife hand while the Capoeira user landed not far away. Hermit prepared to continue his assault, only to be stopped cold by a hard kick to the face that sent him down to the ground.

Naruto stood over him with a very cold look as the Fist tried to get up. "You can't keep going on like this Natsu. Nothing awaits you on this path except emptiness and pain. Is that really what you want?" Natsu however spat in Naruto's face. "What the hell does it even matter to you? How could you possibly know what it's like to lose everything you held dear? You know nothing of my pain."

At that moment Hermit actually felt a cold chill run down his spine and an intense weight fall on him. His eyes suddenly looked into the piercing gaze of Naruto, who now stared at him not with the eyes of a human, but almost like the eyes of the fierce beast whose name he shared.

**"Don't you DARE talk to me about pain. I know it far more than you do. You should be grateful you had a sister at all. I HAD NO ONE, NO PARENTS, NO SIBLINGS, NOTHING!"** His voice almost sounded warped. It actually made Hermit feel scared of him. "Is this really the same guy?" He thought as he felt those piercing blue eyes stare at him with the intensity of a diamond drill.

However, the pressure quickly disappeared as Naruto slowly moved away from the downed fighter, causing him to look confused at his actions. "I hated the world too. I started out with nothing and wanted to see everything burn." Hermit's eyes actually widened as he could tell that the blond wasn't lying.

Naruto's mind flashed back to the horrid years of his childhood and the time he spent in the village. "Life was a struggle for me and there were times when all I felt was hatred. Then I realized that nothing changed from having this hatred inside me, all it did was make me bitterer. I didn't want to feel that way forever, I wanted to be free of that feeling for good."

He then looked towards Natsu with a defiant face. "I let go of my hatred a long time ago and left it in the past where it belongs. Now I look towards the future and what I hope to make out of it one day." He then headed towards the stairs without saying another word as Hermit slowly got to his feet. Just before he disappeared from sight Naruto took one last look at Hermit. "I can't force you to change the way you see things and I realize that you've had a lot of pain in your life like I have. Still, you shouldn't let that hatred be all your life is about. I may not have known your sister but I do know she wanted you to live a happy and fulfilled life, not to stay stuck in the past. It's hard to believe me, I know, but you've just got to let go Natsu and move forward."

The Sixth Fist didn't know what to say as he actually could see his sister in his mind telling him to be strong. It was that same wish that had driven him to become who he was now, but in pursuit of that strength he'd let his hate and distrust consume him. His eyes were no longer cold but instead held a deep melancholy as he slowly made his way to the picture frame before bringing it close to his face. His eyes focused on his sister's smiling face. _"Kaede… is that what you wanted for me? To be happy? Did I just bury myself in my anger?" _The young blond felt a torrent of emotions inside of him as he clutched the picture while a single tear slid down his face on the picture where his sister was. _"What should I do now, Kaede?"_

(Timeskip next day, Gekirin)

"I wonder if any of what I said sunk into that thick skull of his…" Naruto quietly pondered to himself, thinking about some of what he'd said to Hermit not too long ago. Even though he couldn't exactly say he liked the guy, he did understand the effects of having a painful childhood. Like with Sasuke he felt somewhat connected to the blond and did want to help him change. "Hopefully he won't try to shove his hand through my lung the next time I see him."

"What are you talking about Naruto?"

With a startled jump the blond was thrown out of his thoughts before turning around to see Renka with a curious look on her face not far away. Slowly calming himself down he offered a smile to the girl. "Geez Renka, don't sneak up on me like that, you almost gave me a heart attack."

The blue haired girl merely put her hands behind her back with a far off look on her face. "Sorry, but you seemed so distracted and mumbled some stuff to yourself. I got curious." Her coworker seemed to accept her reasoning but also took note that she seemed somewhat uneasy.

"It's no big deal Renka, but what's up with you? You seem a bit fidgety today." This caused the girl to turn somewhat pink in the face and recoil a bit. Truth was since this morning she'd been keeping her distance from Naruto and had diverted her eyes from his every time they got close.

Renka could feel her heart racing a bit as she recalled Hakubi's advice. _"If your heart tells you to act you should follow it."_ Thus she'd been trying to work up the courage to possibly ask Naruto out but as expected she was too nervous to come out and say it. Now that she had his attention however it seemed like the right time to give it a shot.

With a gulp and her heart continuing to race she slowly took a deep breath, gaining the blonde's full attention. "Well, you see Naruto, there was something I've been meaning to ask you till now and I haven't found the right words to say it." Naruto of course couldn't see the obvious meaning behind her words and instead simply gave her another smile that only served to make her more nervous. "Well, what is it, I'm all ears."

All the while this was going on Hakubi, Ryu and Shokatsu as well as many of the patrons in the restaurant were watching the scene intently though keeping their viewing discrete. Hakbui chuckled to himself. "Looks like Renka's finally going to make the first move. I knew that advice I gave her would be a push in the right direction." Ryu watched with interest while Sokatsu tried to hide his own interest in the situation and was failing at it.

Renka however was still having trouble asking. _"Damnit, why does this have to be so hard, just come out and say it already!"_

"You okay Renka? Your face is all red."

The girl could feel her breath shorten as she saw Naruto's face not too far away from her own with a look of concern on it. All those watching were now on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what would happen next.

Unable to handle all the close proximity and her heart now beating a mile per minute Renka opened her mouth with her eyes closed. "I was wondering if maybe…"

"This is it!" All those present said either verbally or mentally.

Naruto simply stared at the girl who was ready to finish her sentence when all of a sudden a loud ringing drowned her out. Hakubi and his two disciples face faulted while many of the customers watching merely slumped back into their seats. Worst was Renka, who was now simply standing in place, completely shell-shocked by her failed attempt.

With an apologetic look on his face Naruto quickly pulled out his cell phone before mouthing out an apology to the still stunned Renka. With a frustrated growl he answered it. "Listen whoever this is I'm kind of busy at the… WAIT WHAT?"

Everyone looked at Naruto with concern as suddenly rage filled his face before he angrily shut his phone and stuffed it into his pocket. He then turned to Hakubi. "Sorry Master Hakubi, something just came up I have to go, sorry." He politely bowed to the old man before turning to Renka who was by now out of her shock. "Sorry about that Renka, I get back as soon as I can and then you can tell me what you wanted to say, alright?" Offering her one last smile he bolted out the door. Silence fell over the place.

Everyone's attention shifted to Renka, who was now quivering all over. Ryu slowly made his way over to the girl, offering her a calming hand. "It's okay Renka, you'll get another…" He quickly drew his hand back when he saw how angry she looked. "_Aw crap."_

Without even blinking the girl quickly bolted into the back room before the sounds of objects being thrown, dishes being broken along with words like "I CAN'T BELIEVE I SCREWED THAT UP!" and "DAMN CELL PHONES, I ALMOST SAID IT!" could be heard.

Hakubi merely let out a dissatisfied sigh. "Sorry about that everyone, she'll be okay once she cools off." His eyes then drifted towards the exit where the angry blond had exited. _"Whatever came up, it must have been very serious for him to take off like that. I wonder what it was."_

(Scene Change the streets)

Naruto took off like a bullet with no care about revealing his skills to those present as his rage pushed him to move even faster. Now clad in his Fenrir clothes he quickly made his way to an abandoned part of town with only one thought on his mind. "_Loki, Hermit you guys better not be planning what I think or else I'm gonna have to kick both your asses!"_

***Ninth Fist End*******

_**Damn that was a hell of a long chapter but I think it turned out pretty well. So some good interaction between Naruto and Renka, along with Valkyrie and Thor. Now we're getting into the part where Hermit and Kenichi fight while Honoka is kidnapped by Loki so expect some serious battle in the next chapter. I tried to fit in some interaction between Naruto and Renka but wanted this chapter to be more about Naruto's impact on Hermit but still established some build up. Hope you like it**_

_Stuff to Address (Things I know you'll ask about)_

_**Naruto teaching Valkyrie- **__The main purpose for this was to show Naruto forming a stronger bond with Valkyrie and Thor. Felt that helping her improve her skills would be the best way for this to happen. As for the tricks he taught her the whole bouncing off the walls to strengthen her kicks seemed like a simple yet effective trick. As for the other method well that'll be explored later._

_**Sol's Training Method- **__A lot of people have been asking for some examples of Naruto's Capoeira training. However, I thought it would be more fun to explore some methods his master employed. Thus I figured since Kenichi's masters do some crazy ass training methods well fighting Great White sharks on a small boat pole that's covered in fish chum along with you seemed to work. Plus I thought it would be funny._

_**Naruto's Words to Hermit- **__Okay Hermit is pretty much like a less crazy version of Sasuke. Both had similar backgrounds but Hermit is still more down to earth and less crazy than Sasuke. So I figured Naruto would approach him about his background in a way similar to how he talked to Sasuke. However, because Hermit isn't as messed up Naruto feels he can have a bigger impact on him. I feel that way too as Naruto has been able to turn complete psychos around, plus I figured Hermit only acted the way he did to fulfill the last wish his sister spoke to him but didn't realize all she wanted was for him to be happy. Having Naruto help him realize that would have a serious effect on his change from being a complete asshole. Plus I think it's a way better way to turn him around than how Kenichi does it but that's just opinion._

_**Naruto and Renka- **__Yeah didn't have enough interaction but the key part here was for Renka to finally establish she does in fact have a crush on Naruto and she should act on it. Doesn't love him yet but does want to ask him out and see if she does. The whole dating thing will happen I promise but I felt that stopping her mid way at this point would help make her more determined and driven in the future. Plus I also included that whole thing about Kensei because it seemed to make sense. I mean he genuinely cared for his brother Sougetsu so it stands to reason he'd be seriously distraught when he was banished. Plus from what I can get from Renka her mom probably acts similar and helped pull him out of that funk. So I figured it would make sense for Hakubi to bring it up in relation to Naruto and Renka's own situation. _

_Capoeira Corner (Explaining anything Capoeira related in the chapter)_

_Berimbau- This is an actual and crucial instrument in Capoeira. As stated it resembles a bow used in archery with a long tightly woven cord. To play it you flick it lightly with a stick provided to provide a beat in conjunction with the other instruments._

_Nygoma Drums- Similar to bongo drums only larger you typically play this in Capoeira with a series of four consecutive beats. Typically two are played in a Capoeira game._

_Roda- This is the Portuguese word for Circle and how Capoeira users spar. The idea is that you form a circle large enough for the people to move. The instrument players are place in the front of the circle while all those in the remainder of the circle clap in conjunction to the music. At the front of the circle two participants meet in the front before entering the circle and beginning the dance. Everyone in the circle is encouraged to participate and can join into the circle at any time. It should be noted that you don't hit your opponent in Roda, the main purpose is to practice your skills and ultimately have fun. That's what Capoeira is really about._

Alright that's all I have for now. Expect a new chapter at some point though I may try to update **Oracion Eight **first _(If you haven't read it yet please check it out)_. Also check out **Spiraling Shark** a Naruto/One Piece crossover I have worked out with The Fifth Rider of Armageddon. It's a cool story and you should give it a look at. Well I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to writing the next one real soon.

Till then Agurra is out.


	11. Chapter 11

Yo Everyone, Agurra of the Darkness back again with another installment of **The Ninth Fist**. Now before I get into this I must state that I will probably not be able to update as frequently as I would like for various reasons including school and difficulty formulating a story. That being said I must also stress I will not abandon my stories no matter how long it takes. Whether or not that offers some form of relief is moot I suppose. Regardless I still intend to continue this and my other story. Anyway that all aside this chapter should be more action packed than the last two and gets really into some key points of the story as well as some major developments in the overall story up to this point. As for what they are, well you'll have to read and find out. Also be sure to check out my other story **Oracion Eight. **With all that out of the way now, LETS KICK ASS BABY!

**Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness does not own Kenichi the Mightest Disciple or Naruto in anyway shape or form. Granted I would love nothing better than that and make some serious changes but that's unlikely to happen so oh well.**

***Ninth Fist Start***

"_Those Damn Idiots, I can't believe they went and pulled something like this!"_

Those were the thoughts running through Naruto aka Fenrir as he soared down the roadways to an old abandoned section of the city, showing no regard for subtly or keeping his skills a secret. Adrenaline was pumping throughout his body like a locomotive engine, pushing him to move faster than one would expect a person of his age to run. Yet his blue eyes held a look of anger and focus as he raced across the pavement, barely taking a breath.

Though the blondes body was currently on autopilot as his mind was deeply focused on the phone message he received mere moments ago.

"_Listen Fenrir, I shouldn't be telling you this but I've heard that Loki somehow managed to get his hands of Kenichi Shirahama's little sister and is holding her hostage at the abandoned church downtown. Also Hermit's with him, thought you should know."_

The message came to him like being dunked in a vat of ice water which served to drown out the actual voice and recognizing the individual who told him. Though that information was rather pointless at this moment as the blonde took off in a rage towards the location, determined to stop the Fourth Fist's plan.

Loki's very image only served to add fuel to the ever growing inferno that was Fenrir's rage at his usage of such a lowbrow tactic, especially given Fenrir's extreme contempt for such an idea. True Loki had given Fenrir a place and friends in this new world; however, The Ninth Fist simply couldn't find a way to excuse his actions and wasn't going to hesitate to teach the devious individual a lesson the hard way.

The thought of Loki brought another image to mind, one that brought about a look of disappointment to the blondes otherwise stone like visage. "Hermit…Natsu, I can't believe you'd actually be willing to go along with a plan like this, especially after what I told you last time. Are you really willing to go this far just to satisfy your own anger and ego? Damn it!"

His feet continued to pound against the concrete as the Ninth Fist moved faster towards the church his eyes slowly reassembling those of a true wolf, a fierce predator with a target insight.

"_Hermit you'd better come to your sense soon, cause if you don't I'm gonna have to beat some sense into you and that bastard Loki!"_

As he thought those last words a flash of lightning and cry of thunder echoed across the darkened skies of the area that resonated across the land.

(Scene Change Ryozanpaku)

"Strange, I feel something in the air?"

"What's the problem Elder, do you sense something?"

The Elder Furinji looked to Kensei whose face remained in a stern visage, completely devoid of his usual mirth. Though the jolly master merely sighed as his eyes drifted towards the now thunderous skies.

"It seems as if the heaven's themselves are roaring with violent cries of battle that will soon take place. I have a feeling Kenichi will be faced with a far greater challenge than any he has faced since." The elder than reached down and picked up a cup of tea before taking a calming sip.

"Let's just hope that when the time comes he will know the course of action he must take. "

(Scene Change Church)

"Heheh, won't be long before that idiot Shirahama Shows up"

Loki spoke to know one in particular as he played with another wire puzzle, seated in one of the pews of the church. Hermit was not far away leaning against one of the old rotten stone pillars with his hood obscuring his face though one could tell he wasn't in a very good mood.

"Hey you jerk don't talk bad about my brother, he'll beat you up good." The Fourth Fist stopped playing with his puzzle for a moment though without losing his grin. His eyes turned to the main source of his mirth who was currently tied to another of the pillars, Honoka Shirahama. The young girl had an irritable look on her face but was otherwise completely unharmed, didn't stop her from complaining about every little thing every five minutes and was currently past due for another complaint.

Loki however, continued to smirk at her before returning to his puzzle, "That's exactly what we're counting on girly, though in the mean time I'd appreciate it if you kept you mouth shut for a while." The young girl however merely puffed her cheeks in annoyance and diverted her gaze from him. Though after a moment almost on schedule she spoke again.

"Can I get some water, I'm really thirsty and its really dusty in here." The girl coughed for emphasis though it didn't get much of reaction out of Loki who probably would have told her, "I Don't Give a Damn." Hermit however, did react and slowly made his way to the door, obviously to comply with the girls request.

"Just where do you think you're going Hermit?" The hooded Fist stopped in place but didn't turn to face the Fourth Fist who also remained in the same place. After a moment the silent kempo user spoke, "I'm gonna get the brat some water so she'll shut up and stop coughing." Honoka seemed to ignore the comment about being a brat and looked genuinely happy at the attention she was garnering. Loki however, was different as with a sigh he got up from his seat and made his way towards his lower ranked comrade.

"Listen Hermit why don't you just sit back down and forget about the girl for now, she's not gonna die if we don't give her a drink so there's no reason to worry." Hermit however, didn't seem like he was willing to comply though he displayed his displeasure by turning to face Loki who smirked at his obvious response. "Now, now Hermit you don't really want to fight me do you, after all its Shirahama you want?"

The Sixth and Fourth Fists stared at each other and remained in a stalemate until the pair felt a rather hostile aura approaching causing Loki's grin to grow as loud voice echoed through the church.

"LOKI GIVE ME BACK HONOKA YOU BASTARD!"

The sound of the Iron Gate to the front of church being smash and hitting the ground caused Loki's grin to form a full-blown evil smile.

"So he's finally shown up, now it gets interesting."

Hermit naturally kept his focus on the door and walked quickly to face his adversary though not before he caught a quick glance of Honoka who looked back with pleading eyes. The sight of her caused Hermit to hear the words Fenrir had spoken to him not long ago.

_I may not have known your sister but I do know she wanted you to live a happy and fulfilled life, not to stay stuck in the past. It's hard to believe me, I know, but you've just got to let go Natsu and move forward."_ Hermit's stride slowed somewhat as the words weighed on his mind like a block of lead yet he shrugged it off continuing forward. _"Sorry Fenrir, however, I have to do this it may not be the way I'd like it but I've come too far to stop now."_

The Sixth Fist placed both of his hands on the rotten doors before pulling them open with a resounding creak. His cold emotionless eyes quickly caught sight of Kenichi Shirahama standing but fifteen feet away. Though this was a far cry from the weak and terrified boy he'd fought with on the bus. Gone were his eyes filled with terror and instead replaced with focused and raged filled orbs that seemed to peer into him.

The look actually merited an invisible smirk from Hermit, _"Looks like this time he'll get serious for once, good!"_

Kenichi took a step forward his teeth gritting in anger as he raised his arm and pointed directed at Hermit. "HERMIT, YOU BASTARD GIVE ME BACK MY SISTER RIGHT NOW!" Another loud boom of thunder and crash of lightning erupted at his words.

The Sixth Fist however remained calm and steadfast, "You really think it's going to be that simple Shirahama? Hate to break it to you but the only way you're getting to her is through me and this time you won't be running away." He quickly shifted into his kempo stance ready to battle.

Kenichi had yet to lose any of his fire dropping into his own stance showing he was prepared to go all the way, "I don't have any intention of running away this time. You Ragnarock guys have gone too far this time and Now I'm gonna make you pay!"

Hermit's formally invisible smirk stretched to his face, "Well then Shirahama why don't you show me what you've got so I finally knock some sense into the naïve head of yours." With another strike of lighting that seemed to divide the two both charged towards each other, each letting out a resounding battle cry.

Hermit lashed forward with a sideways knife strike, which collided with Kenichi's right fist. The collision resounded like a gunshot and a great deal of air was released, yet both remained together as if stuck with glue. Each individual's arm was shaking, trying to force their opponent back with little success on either front. All the while their gazes met one another with burning determination, anger, bitterness and the intent to kill. This was no longer some casual street fight, but a true battle between Martial Artists that could very easily turn into a death match.

"My, My they're really going at it."

"I know, man kids these days have a lot of energy."

Unbeknownst to the combatants there were two very skilled and very powerful observers watching the battle take place as if it were a match on T.V. Said individuals were Kenichi's Karate master Sakaki and Jujitsu Master Akisame. Despite the tense atmosphere melded with kidnapping and possible death neither master seemed particularly worried, if anything they were a little two casual about it.

"This should be a long fight, good thing I brought plenty of booze." Sakaki quickly grabbed one of his six-packs before chopping the top off with his bare hands. Akisame on the other hand merely watch the scene intently as the two fighters eventually pushed themselves apart from each other yet remained steady. "Yes, seems both of them have improved quite a bit since they last fought. Should be an excellent bout for sure."

As Sakaki continued to drink he paused for a minute, "Remind me, is that hooded kid that Fenrir guy that beat Kenichi and Miu before?" His tone though somewhat playful contained his hidden intent to "meet" the infamous fighter who'd garnered so much attention as of late. Akisame however merely shook his head, "Sorry to tell you this Sakaki but that's defiantly not him. The hooded boy you're thinking of uses Capoeria while I'm certain the boy Kenichi's fighting uses Chinese Kempo. Besides even if he does show up what exactly would you do."

Akisame somewhat regretted his words as the brash street fighter's aura started to flare and a scary grin appeared on his face, "Oh nothing much just like to have a little talk with him is all." The Jujitsu master sweat dropped at the obvious implication, "_The last time Sakaki had "Talk" with someone he ended up in the emergency room for six months. Better make sure to keep my drunken friend here on a short leash."_

Deciding to drop the issue he redirected the muscular man back at the fight and his beer, his attention quickly lost. Yet Akisame wasn't completely focused on the fight himself, _"Though I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in meeting this Fenrir myself. Though I'd at least try and be a bit more civil about it."_

(Scene Change)

"_Why do I suddenly feel like I should start running in the opposite direction? Uh, never mind gotta keep moving." _The blonde quickly shook the uneasiness he felt and continued forward, all the while the once clear skies grew ever darker and the thunder and lightning continued to strike.

As he grew closer and closer towards his target, the Ninth Fist could feel himself tense up even more as only a small distance was between him and his destination. "Just have to turn around this corner and it's a straight shot to the church. Without losing any speed the hooded blonde quickly spun around the corner and towards the pathway that would lead to the church.

"Hey you, hold it!"

Eyes widened at the word the blonde was brought to a screeching halt as he looked to the source of the noise. At the sight not far ahead the blondes face hardened into a deep frown and growled in aggravation. "Not you two again."

Suffice to say Fenrir was not happy as standing but twenty feet away was the person who not long ago had literally drilled him almost four feet into solid concrete, "… Miu Furinji, wasn't expecting to run into you again so soon." His eyes centered on the blonde girl, currently clad in her skintight purple leotard and light red short sleeved jacket, her face showing obvious contempt and equally matched annoyance.

"I could say the same for you."

The two remained in a standoff not unlike the one that occurred at their first encounter though the Ninth Fist's eyes drifted slightly, "Though I can see you decided to bring some backup along with you, a little uneasy are we." The Blonde clenched her teeth at the implication weakness.

Alongside the obviously aggravated girl were three others, including of course the leader and founder of the Shinpaku Alliance, Haruo Nijima, currently shaking in fear at the sight of the freighting Fist recalling his own encounter. Currently standing between the demon-like teen were two individuals Fenrir had yet to encounter though from a single glance he could tell they were fighters.

The taller of the two was the one their so-called leader was hiding behind. He stood easily above six feet with a rather bulky build in a simple white collared shirt with black pants and white shoes. He had short spiky hair that was mostly shaved in the back with a narrow unmarked face, save a small scar on the lower left side of his cheek. Over his eyes was a simple pair of sunglasses that despite the current lighting didn't seem to hinder his vision. Said individual seemed a little uneasy but ready to defend himself if anything could be read by his stance.

The other individual seemed the more skilled and powerful of the two, emitting a fair amount of confidence. Unlike his comrade he had a much more narrow but still muscular build, clad in a blue jacket, black pants, blue shoes and bandages wrapped around his hands. He had a much narrower face than his friend with brown eyes and strangely light blue hair done in a ponytail. Though no conflict had been established he was already in a ready stance with both fists raised and his legs shoulder width apart, a smirk on his face.

"_By the looks of things the larger guy given his size probably is mainly a power based fighter so he probably fights using wrestling or maybe grappling techniques, though despite his size looks like he's pretty scared of me. As for the other one, judging by his posture and the wrappings on his hands must be a boxer and a good one given how quickly he jumped into his stance. Wait I minute, I'm pretty sure I know who these guys are."_

"Ukita the Thrower and Takeda the Puncher right? You two used to be members of Ragnarock from what I've been told before you decided to jump ship and betray the group." Ukita didn't register much from the his words though Takeda merely smiled never letting down his guard, "Wasn't anything personal just figured I shouldn't waste my skills fighting for a bunch of low level thugs when I can use them to protect and help my real friends out, though can't say we've had the pleasure even though you know our names."

Fenrir instead of speaking allowed Miu to speak for him, obviously wanting to have herself heard, "His name is Fenrir and apparently he's the Ninth Fist of Ragnarock." Ukita's eyes shot up from behind his glasses at the revelation, "Ninth Fist? You've got to be kidding me. First with Kisara there were Eight Fists now you're telling me we've got another one to worry about?" Takeda however, didn't seem worried, if anything he seemed excited, "A new Deadly Fist, well congrats my friend, you must be good if they were willing to make you a Fist so quickly."

Fenrir didn't really respond to the praise obviously not interested in small talk, though took notice of something, "Odd from what I'd been told in Ragnarock you only used your right arm to fight and never even moved your left. Apparently it was paralyzed and that's what lead you to join Ragnarock." At the mention of that fact the boxer raised his now mobile left fist and pointed it right at Fenrir, "You're right buddy that's exactly what happened. However, thanks to Kenichi's help I can used both my arms again and get back in the ring. Though I've been meaning to try out my Left arm on a worthy opponent and I think you're just the right person for the job." Ukita slowly moved to his friends side, "Easy Takeda, the last time you tried fighting one of the Fists you got laid out on the pavement. If we take him, we take him together got it."

The blue haired boxer saw little point in arguing with his tall friend and quickly got into his ready stance along with Ukita. Though Fenrir could only growl in annoyance, "I'm sorry but I don't have time to play with you right now, I have somewhere I need to be." His words only caused the two to advance forward some more with Takeda losing the mirth from his eyes and voice, "If your talking about getting to Kenichi so you can kick his ass again then you might as well stay put pal. As long as we're here, you're not going anywhere."

Without even thinking Takeda and Ukita rushed towards the Ninth Fist with Ukita picking up speed and rushing ahead. Both of his arms spread out ready to grab the Ninth Fist whilst he screamed out, "Get set to get thrown pal!"

Both teens closed the gap towards the non-moving Fist, adrenaline pushing them forward. Sadly it also served to drown out the cries of "Stop" and "Halt" coming from Nijima and Miu as they watch the pair close in. Fenrir merely watched the two come closer with a look of frustration on his face, _"I really don't have…TIME FOR THIS CRAP!"_

In an instance the Ninth Fist disappeared causing Ukita and Takeda's eyes to widen, "What the, where'd he…." Neither could finish their sentences as a black blur suddenly wisped past them. Both felt a pressure on one of their legs below and on the side of the knee. It felt as if two hands were pushing their leg in both directions before it was hoisted of the ground and both found themselves in the air. It all happened so fast that neither knew what was happening till they could suddenly only see the black sky above them. Yet Takeda before hitting the ground managed to lean his head back just enough to seen Fenrir with his back to them, now standing not far from where they had started charging, looking over his shoulder slightly at them. With a cold tone he quietly muttered out, _**Tesoura**__–__**De-Frente**_(Scissors) The only though running through either of their minds before they both collided with the concrete was, _"What…How did he?"_

Both hit the ground hard, each coughing and grunting in pain at the hard collision. Nijima's mouth dropped to the floor as his eyes widened drastically all the while sputtering out barely audible sentence fragments. "How, when, who… How the HELL did he do that, better yet just what the heck did I just see?"

"Its called, _Tesoura De Frente"_ Nijima's black eyes darted to Miu who was staring at Fenrir and his handy work intensely, her eyes seemingly analyzing every detail of what had just happened.

The blonde's eyes didn't leave the battlefield yet could tell her friend needed an explanation, "Tesoura means Scissors in Portuguese. It's a technique in Capoeira that aims for the legs with the intention of breaking down your opponent's stance and knocking them to the floor. By hooking one's outside leg to the calf of your opponent and your other leg to the inner thigh trapping the leg at the knee then twisting the torso you can knock you opponent off balance and off their feet."

Miu's explanation seemed to help Nijima put the pieces of the puzzle together as he quickly scribbled the information into his PDA. Though he could tell something was off with Miu, _"Miu's obviously tense and uneasy, then again can't say I blame her, the last time she fought this guy he nearly burned her abdomen off. After that little display anyone would be on edge. Just hope you can handle him better this time."_

Miu on the other hand had different thoughts on her mind as she was replaying what she'd just seen in slow motion, mentally reducing Fenrir from his black blur like state just a few moments ago to reveal him performing the previously mentioned technique twice in quick succession. _"Even though I'm no Capoeria expert, pulling of simultaneous Tesoura-De-Frente at that kind of speed isn't an easy thing to pull off. Really shows just how tough this guy truly is, especially considering both Ukita and Takeda are experienced fighters and former Ragnarock members. Though I'd better handle this, no way the others would even stand a chance against him."_

Her decision made Miu stepped forward facing Fenrir with a look of an unmovable expression, though Nijima could easily read it, _"Looks like Miu's gonna fight him after all. Not really much I can do to stop her, then again she is one of my subordinates and its their job to protect their leader especially in times of serious danger so no worries._

Miu slowly moved in front of Nijima cutting him off from Fenrir who seemed somewhat distracted, "You really should keep your focus when fighting against multiple opponents Fenrir, otherwise you'll end up leaving yourself open." The Ninth Fist remained silent at her words though obviously tensing up at the implication as Miu slowly shifted into a stance.

Fenrir growled in frustration at the girl's action, "Listen Furinji, I don't have time to play with you or your little high school fight club. I have some place I need to be right now and I'm not in the mood to put up with your crap, Now MOVE!" He spoke the last words with ferocity present in his voice, yet Miu remained steadfast, managing to push back the angry fighters Killing intent, her own face hardening as certain thoughts ran through her mind.

"If you're planning to help out your friends beat up Kenichi then you might as well forget it, I'm not letting you go anywhere." That merited another much louder almost animalistic growl from the now enraged Fist at his path being blocked, his eyes reflecting his growing bestial frustration, actually causing Nijima to get chills.

"Just what the hell makes you think for even one second you can stop me? If I remember correctly, the last time you and I fought I managed to lay you out flat on your cocky little ass." The Blonde grit her teeth in remembrance of the encounter, her right hand reflexively reaching towards her now healed abdomen, recalling the white hot heat of his flame coated kick.

Fenrir saw the girl was distracted and decided to make his move, he quickly leapt towards the nearby wall intending to jump it and make his way to the church. Instead however just as he was about to reach it, the blond found himself leaning back a nearly impossible level to avoid a fast kick to the face, just barely missing his nose before placing his feet on the wall and pushing himself back to his original spot.

He unleashed a roar of aggravation at interference looking up with piercing eyes of hatred at Miu currently standing atop the wall he intended to jump. "Just what the hell are you trying to prove here? I don't have any quarrel with you anymore nor do you have one with me at the moment, so why the hell do you insist on interfering and more importantly pissing me off?"

The blonde prodigy merely lept off the wall and entered into her crane stance looking into his rage filled eyes with a calm and focused gaze. "Sorry but you're wrong about that I'm afraid. See you hurt Kenichi twice and attacked my friends multiple times. Your so called comrades even dragged Kenichi's sister into this mess and are probably planning to do who knows what to her and Kenichi. As far as I'm concerned I have plenty of reason to fight you, so you'd better prepare yourself cause I promise you things are going to be different from the last time we fought."

The Ninth Fist found himself clenching his teeth with unbelievable fury as if trying to chew through a cable at the girl's attempts to halt him, this made all the more maddening given the situation. Yet he could find no alternative as the girl in front of him was no amateur as he had learned firsthand and couldn't be fooled with simple tricks.

Thus the rage filled Fist slowly released a calming breath, easing the inferno within his mind and letting his anger out. His now peaceful gaze met Miu's determined one obviously showing he was ready to fight. The hooded Fist slowly shifted into his Ginga stance, moving from side to side ready to fight.

"Seems you've left me with no other choice, just don't expect me to be a civil the last time we fought nor as gentle. I'll end this quickly." Miu merely looked at him with a stone cold face, her expression never changing, "I learned plenty from our last fight so and I won't fall for the same tricks twice you'd better be ready."

The tension in the air was built as felt by the three fighters present, so tense was it that none could sense another pair of eyes watching through a small hole in one of the walls.

The hidden individual at first glance appeared to be none other than the infamous Fourth Fist Loki, orchestrator of the entire affair. However, upon closer inspection one would notice the much thinner face and less muscular physique held by this individual. Said imposter was another of Loki's many Shadow doubles, who had originally been sent by Loki along with others to halt the Shinpaku's movement. Though with the arrival of Fenrir the group saw that their assistance was no longer needed.

Though that didn't stop this particular individual from staying behind to watch things go down as he pulled out a walkie-talkie, "Loki, come in can you hear me."

"_What do you want you dolt, Shirahama's already here and Hermit's beating the crap out of him. Though I'm hoping your calling means you managed to deal with those annoying Shinpaku idiots and their freaky alien leader."_

"Actually sir, thing is we were about to confront them but odd thing is Fenrir showed up."

"_FENRIR SHOWED UP! YOU FUCKING IDIOT WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER. HE'LL SCREW UP EVERYTHING IF HE SHOWS UP!"_

The Shadow had to cover up the speaker to muffle out most of the noise from his angry leader, "Sir what's the problem, isn't Fenrir on our side? Plus he's a Fist, so he should be more than a match for the Shinpaku members right?"

"_THAT'S NOT THE POINT YOU DUMBASS! Fenrir made it perfectively clear he would be against this little plan of ours from the start. Why do you think I didn't include him in the first place. If he shows up, I have no doubt he'll free the girl and try to use my face as a punching bag."_

"Well if it makes you feel any better boss, he's fighting Miu Furinji right now and it doesn't seem like she's gonna let him go anywhere."

At his words Loki's voice seemed to adopt a much calmer and more normal tone, _"Huh, the Furinji girl's there. That's perfect, after their last encounter there's no way in hell she'll let him come within a hundred miles of Shirahama. Still I want you to keep a close eye on them. Even if they fight I've got a feeling that won't stop Fenrir from trying to fuck up the plan so you'd better keep me informed or else, understand?"_

Sweating at the promise of pain the Shadow saluted to the small device, "I understand sir."

"_Good"_ after that the Walkie went dead and the shadow let loose a breath to relief his tension, "Geez, I thought Loki was supposed to be a god of trickery, not torture. I really should have listened to mom and stayed in school. Damn my luck sucks ass." Musing over his unfair life the doppelganger resumed his observation of the battle commencing all the while another fight was taking place not too far away.

(Scene Change Church battlefield)

"_What's with this idiot, how did he get this good in such a short amount of time." _Those where the thoughts running through the mind of Hermit as he surprisingly found himself on the defensive from a rather brutal series of punches, kicks and strikes from a very determined and pissed off Kenichi Shirahama. The two had only been exchanging blows for a minute or two, but Hermit could already see this Kenichi was a far cry from the weakling shaking in his boots that time on the bus.

To that end Hermit had to give the guy some credit with his improvement, considering their fight had only been roughly two or so week prior. The difference in skill level was considerable and even Hermit was impressed. Though that being said he wasn't a slouch either and wasn't about to let Shirahama come out on top.

He showed his resolve as his opponent unleashed another fierce punch, only for Hermit to quickly divert the punch with his right arm before swing behind Kenichi and then chopping him to the back of the neck with his left.

Normally such an attack would have rendered the teen unconscious but he barely leaned forward from the attack and instead quickly turned his head before rotating his body and shooting his leg up fast and hard. Hermit however, reacted quickly just managing to flip backwards to avoid the tip of his opponents toes. Quickly flipping backwards a few feet he put some distance between his opponent before letting out a breath and getting back into his stance.

His cold eyes looked at the fact of his opponent, completely devoid of fear or doubt, only radiating focus towards his objective. "Have to say you've certainly improved quiet a bit since our last encounter Shirahama. However, don't think that means you've got a chance in hell of beating me." Oddly enough Kenichi didn't respond at first with his face shadowed by his hair yet Hermit could see him shaking at which he assumed was fear.

"Why Hermit?"

Said Fists eyes narrowed at the question as he dropped out of his stance for a moment, "Why what?"

Kenichi didn't respond at first, then his face shot up revealing a look of pure loathing and anger, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO GET HONOKA INVOLVED IN THIS?" Anger radiated off of each word he spoke, the sheer volume of emotion contained in each vibration actually sent a chill up Hermit's spine. Yet his visage remained cold and unresponsive as he continued to stare at his still angry opponent.

"If you Ragnarock guys wanted to fight me that's fine I would have gladly accepted, you didn't have to get my sister or my friends involved." At those words Hermit actually chuckled a little at the implication meriting a look of confusion from Kenichi that actually caused him to lighten up somewhat. "Uh What's so funny?

Hermit's laughter seemed somewhat humorless and more cynical in a way though only slightly, "Really I find that pretty ironic coming from you. If I remember correctly the last time you and I fought you spent the entire time screaming like a cat on the freeway trying to find a way not to fight me." Kenichi's confident face dropped completely as he recalled his rather "unmanly" behavior at the aforementioned encounter.

However, the Sixth Fist was far from done in his little down play of Kenichi, "Also Valkyrie told me that the very first time you and Fenrir met, you took off at sixty miles an hour in the other direction!" Kenichi's face somewhat hardened at the mention of Fenrir, though not much considering what was being told was the truth. Yet Hermit's face slowly hardened as his stance resumed.

"Though regardless of those facts, simple thing is it's your own fault for being so naïve." Kenichi looked at Hermit with a confused face, "You said that to me the last time we fought, that I was naïve. What exactly am I so naïve about."

Hermit's stance tightened as his face became stone cold, "That you believe that people in this world won't resort to using deception and trickery to get what they want."

Kenichi's eyes widened as he flashed back to when he first learned of Hermit or rather Natsu's true nature and who he talked about spending his whole life playing the role of a nice guy just to get what he wanted in life. Here he was bringing it up again and like before Kenichi was still as confused as he was before.

"I don't understand what you're talking about Hermit, all I know is that you have my sister and I'm going to get her back." Kenichi dropped into his stance and prepared to continue. Hermit however, as he spoke found himself thinking back to his past and the events that had shaped him into the person he was today. The images of his dying sister, the years his spent alone and all the betrayals in his life caused the Sixth Fists teeth to grit in anger. Yet at that moment another image came to his mind that seemed to block out his memories.

"_You've just got to let go and move forward Natsu."_

"_That Damn idiot, can't stop listening to his speeches even when he's not around." _The sixth's Fist's eyes softened if only for a moment at Fenrir's words. As much as the Sixth Fist hated to admit it, really really hated to admit it, a tiny part of him was grateful for Fenrir's concern. Despite growing up not trusting anybody Hermit wasn't so paranoid that he could just ignore the obvious worry in his comrade's voice and complete lack of deceit. More so what he'd said prior had really made Hermit really consider not just his current actions but also his overall perspective on life.

Still his words only served as a small reprieve as Hermit quickly shook them off before regaining his stone faced visage and returning to his Kenpo stance. "Well Shirahama if you want her back so badly then your gonna have to beat me!"

At that instance, rain started to fall from the sky which only served to add to the already tense atmosphere. Both Fighters charged at each other, striking out hard with fierce intent. Said attacks collided with tremendous force. Both were mere inches apart as they glanced at each other neither individual giving an inch.

The standoff only last for a second before Hermit went on the offensive and delivered a hard kick to Kenichi's exposed chest shoving his enemy back a few inches though he started to slid across the now muddy surface. Seeing his enemy drop his guard, Hermit switch stances and instead aimed a powerful palm strike towards his enemy.

Kenichi however, was ready for him and quickly caught the attack before it hit before swiftly placing his leg in between Hermits and managing to knock him off balance enough to get him into a judo throw. The Sixth Fist could only look on in surprise as he tossed over his enemies shoulder on a collision course with the ground. Thinking quickly the Sixth Fist swiftly flipped his body forward before slamming his feet hard onto the muddy ground. Doing so allowed him to avoid the worst of the technique and get back on the offensive.

Quickly breaking free of his stunned opponent's grasp Hermit lashed a knife strike to the left side of Kenichi's neck before following with a hard punch to the stomach and finishing with a strong chop to the back of the neck. The combination came too fast for him to react and the so-called Strongest Disciple found himself with the taste of mud and grass in his mouth.

Hermit merely looked down on his opponent with a look of anger and disinterest. All the while the rain pelted against his skin. His opponent seemed immobile and Hermit almost chose to head back to the church. Yet he'd quickly learned not to underestimate this particular opponent even when he'd been overwhelmed. Said thoughts were well merited as the battered disciple slowly struggled to make his way to his feet.

After a moment or two he was back on his feet and a look of fire still present in his eyes. All Hermit could do is sigh at the Tenacity his opponent was showing, yet oddly enough Hermit didn't feel quite so angry at Kenichi despite the fact he refused to stay down. It was actually puzzling the Sixth Fist at how it felt as though some of his rage and bitterness seemed to leave him.

Yet it was a thought he moved to the back of his mind and he prepared to go again as the battle in the rain continued.

(Scene Change, Naruto vs Miu Round 2)

"_Just what the hell am I looking at?"_ Those were the thoughts running through the mind of Takeda as he watched Miu and the Ninth Fist of Ragnarock clash against each other, using skills and moves he never dreamed a human could pull off except in movies and anime.

Fenrir leapt himself backwards before landing on his left foot and pushing himself forward using the added speed and momentum to flip himself forward and slam his right leg out flat. Miu quickly leapt back to avoid the attack causing the extended leg to slam onto the ground. Though Fenrir quickly recovered leaning to his side before performing a fast paced wind mill maneuver actually creating a bit of a whirlwind before kicking himself up to his feet and using the momentum to push himself right to Miu without even pausing. Once near he turned into a spin kick yet once against she avoided it by quickly placing he hands onto the incoming kick pushing it away from him. Though she was far from done as she actually lifted her body off the ground like she was leaping a fence and then rotated her hips and feet directly towards Fenrir's face who unfortunately couldn't dodge the attack.

"_Smash_"

Those present winced slightly at the kicks to the face though they quickly cringed as Miu actually grabbed the stunned Fist's shoulders before pushing his body down enough to deliver a knee strike to his abdomen, actually causing air and spit to fly from his mouth. Yet she still wasn't done as Miu released her enemy before flipping backwards and having her back leg smash into Fenrir's chin sending him flying.

At first glance it looked like he'd been dispatched, though it only lasted for an instance as Fenrir quickly spun rapidly in midair before actually using his legs to push himself backwards and land on his feet. He slowly raised himself to standing position before dusting himself off. Miu was still on guard watching the Ninth Fist actually reach to his facemask before quickly pulling it down and turning to the side and spitting out some blood.

She wasn't able to see his face as the mask was quickly reapplied and his cold gaze met hers. He didn't say anything and instead merely cracked his neck in response before responding, "Is that all you've got?"

Surprisingly Miu merely narrowed her eyes at his comment, her guard remained strong, "Of course not, that was just a warm up," her stance slowly shifted into a more offensive one as her eyes narrowed into a rather cold gaze, "Have to say I'm pretty surprised you and your comrades would actually stoop to something as low as kidnapping a little girl. Are you really so desperate for a fight that you'd use such low brow tactics?" Fenrir didn't respond at first though one could tell he didn't take the comment as he quickly got back into Ginga.

"I'm not really interested in answering your question since I doubt my words would be able to penetrate that thick skull of yours." Miu actually stuck out her tongue at him for the intelligence crack as he continued, "However, don't start lumping me or my other comrades in the same group as scum like Loki. The second I get the chance I'm gonna be paving the streets with that guys face."

The Shinpaku members actually looked at the Ninth Fist with shock as his tone was obviously containing serious anger and no deceit. Though Nejima who was a master of lies and deceit was even surprised, "_Weird, he's defiantly not lying from what I can tell. Looks like the relationship between the Fists isn't as ironclad as I thought." _An evil thought ran through his head as a pair of demon like antenna's appeared on his head, _"We could possibly use this to our advantage, if we let this guy pass and beat the crap out of Loki then we can further put wedge into the Fists' loyalties and ultimately tear them apart. Perhaps even recruit this guy to the Shinpaku." _He let out an evil chuckle at his so-called genius plan whilst Miu contemplated what Fenrir had just said.

"_What should I do. The last time we fought this guy didn't have any problem kidnapping Neijima and using him as a hostage. Then again knowing Nejima he probably had it coming. Also I don't know why but despite all Fenrir's put Kenichi and me through he doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd encourage kidnapping a little girl." _Miu's eyes peered into Fenrir's which though cold also held a small amount of light to them that seemed to support what she was thinking.

The blonde contemplated and thought her options through, before finally she let out a sigh and moved out of her fighting stance puzzling Fenrir. "What exactly are you doing, have you decided to give up and let me pass?"

Miu merely shook her head in response to him, "I'm not exactly giving up cause I still feel like you need to be taught a lesson for all you've done in the past. However, I also believe that you what you want to help save Kenichi's sister too. So I'll let you pass."

Takeda and Ukita's faces turned rapidly to the girl, mouths opened in shock while Nejima smirked and chuckled quietly at the girls actions, _"That's right Miu, throw the wolf a bone, make him trust us so we can slowly turn him and the other Fists against one another, HEHEHHEHEHEHEHE!"_

Fenrir however, wasn't completely convinced as he was still on the defensive, "You're really gonna let me go just like that even after all the grief I've given you and your friends?" He saw her face held no trace of deception and given the time frame he wasn't really in a position to argue.

So the Ninth Fist slowly got out of his stance his eyes never leaving the girl in front of him, ready to react should she try something. He quickly leapt forward flipping himself over the girl in one big move, though kept his back to the girl without saying a word.

Though just as he prepared to take off he quietly muttered out, "Thanks" before he took off like a bullet in the direction of the church.

All was silent for a moment before Takeda quickly ran up to Miu with Ukita not far behind, "Honey what the hell were you thinking. You just let that guy go right past you and now he's probably gonna help his Ragnarock buddies gang up on Kenichi." Miu however, merely stared at the path Fenrir took.

"Sorry Takeda, but I just felt like at least for the moment I could trust him with this. Its hard to explain but even though I've only met him once before and what I've heard about him from Kenichi, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd go along with a plan like this. I just feel like he can be trusted here."

Takeda really couldn't come up with a response and instead merely scratched his head in frustration, "You're taking a pretty big gamble with that decision Miu, if you're wrong then Kenichi will be in for some serious trouble."

Miu quickly turned to Takeda with a harsh look on her face, "If that happens then I'll personally handle Fenrir and make sure he realizes just how lucky he was when we fought the last time." The blue haired boxer promptly shut up and backed off, while Miu turned her attention to the alley leading to the church.

"We need to get moving, Kenichi may still need our help." Ukita actually nodded along with Takeda, "Yeah this is Loki we're talking about here, not exactly someone famous for playing by the rules.

With a collective nod from everyone the group quickly started to run towards the church determined to give their friend backup. Miu of course was heading off the pack, her eyes focused squarely on the destination.

"_Hang on Kenichi, we're on our way."_

(Scene Change the Church)

"Man never would've thought this fight would've taken a turn like this?"

"Yes certainly is surprising to see the things that inspire and drive some of these kids to study Martial Arts whether that motivation be born from determination or desperation."

The drunken Karate master merely snorted at his friend's overly proper behavior and picked up another beer. The two masters had remained atop their branch watching the fight go on for some time now. Originally it seemed Kenichi was being overpowered and Hermit's skills were too much to overcome. Yet Kenichi's will and desire to protect his sister as well as the intense physical and mental training he'd endured the last few weeks were slowly turning the tide in his favor.

Though just as Kenichi seemed to pull off an upset Hermit came back harder than ever and knocked Kenichi down. At this point he'd slowly revealed to Kenichi the source of his anger, telling the tale of how he and his sick little sister Kaede were originally orphans that were adopted by a wealthy businessmen. In exchange for giving them a home and money for his sisters medical treatments, Hermit was to be groomed to be the company's heir, thus spent a good portion of his childhood miserable yet didn't care. Then the story seemed to take a happier turn when he spoke of how his stepfather had fallen in love with one of his doctors and became the warm loving parent Natsu had always dreamed of.

Then everything turned sour as his father suddenly died under mysterious circumstances and his stepmother was taken away as the prime suspect. Though the most heart wrenching moments occurred when he told of how without his stepfather, Kaede couldn't be taken care of and eventually died from her illness right before his eyes.

It was a truly sad tale that managed to penetrate the hearts of even the two seasoned masters who'd seen similar scenario's in their own lives, though that didn't make it any less sad. All the while the tale was told, the rain continued to fall as if the heaven's themselves wept for the unfortunate young man who now drowned his pain and sorrow in violence and blood.

Hermit merely looked up at the dark clouds whilst the rain pelted his face with a blank expression, Kenichi remained on the ground soaking in all he'd been told which had managed to shake him to the core.

The Sixth Fist looked at the sky for another moment before speaking in a tone that matched his face, "In the end it was through lies and deceit that my whole life was torn apart. I lost everything because of that woman." Slowly he began to chuckle with a mirthless and cynical laugh, "Hehe, it's actually kind of funny when you think about it. Her lies took so much from me and yet it's those same actions that helped make me who I am today." His chuckling turned into full blown laughter as his mind was once again flooded by the painful images of his dark past.

"I suppose I should thank her in the end, after all it's because of her that I drove myself to become as strong as I am. She also taught me a very important lesson." Before he spoke he looked down at Kenichi with the coldest eyes his face had ever held, "In the end all you need in this world to get by are lies and deceit, if you have those then the world is yours for the taking."

The sound of his words actually caused Sakaki to clench his hand so tightly his beer can was crushed whilst Akisame could only look on sadly at the beliefs Hermit held. Kenichi on the other hand clutched the mud in anger, though not at Hermit himself as he slowly worked to get to his knees.

"You're wrong."

Hermit's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Kenichi attempting to get to his feet who continued to struggle yet didn't stop speak as his voice gained volume, "If you live your life full of nothing but deceit and struggling for power you'll end up with nothing but an empty existence."

Hermit's eyes narrowed at the young boys words though they slowly widened as he managed to get to his feet, _"HOW can he still be able to stand. After all the times I've attacked him he should be finished." _Kenichi finally standing lot out a roar of effort fighting against the pain before he resumed his stance, his eyes once again filled with a fire of determination.

"To really survive in this world you need to be willing to put your trust in the people around you." Hermit started to growl in anger at the Kenichi's words despite all he'd told him already, _"This guy is starting to sound more and more like Fenrir and its starting to piss me off."_

Kenichi spoke his last words with as much force as he could, "Trust your masters, Trust your friends and trust yourself, that is true power!" Sakaki and Akisame both smiled at their disciples words which though somewhat naïve held a great deal of wisdom and power behind them. Hermit prepared to retort when another voice entered the fray.

"You know he's right Hermit!"

All eyes widened before the turned to the source of the voice meriting a look of shock, fear and anger from Kenichi, curiosity from the two masters and a look of anger from Hermit who spoke towards the source with a cold tone, "Just what the hell are you doing here Fenrir?"

The Ninth Fist stood in place ignoring his soaked through clothing as his ice cold eyes stared down the two fighters, though taking note of the two masters in the tree but paying them little mind as he made his way towards the two.

"Well Hermit to answer your question I got a call telling me this asshole I happen to know decided to do something really asinine like kidnapping the younger sister of a person he wanted to fight and ignore practically everything I'd said to him recently because apparently his ears are so full of his own bullshit he couldn't make out my words."

Kenichi's look of fear quickly shifted to confusion at the Ninth Fist's harsh words which were oddly enough not directed at him for once, if anything were defending him, _"Is Fenrir actually angry at Hermit for this? Wait does that mean he didn't know about this plan."_

While the disciple contemplated the loyalties on one of his greatest enemies his Karate and Judo masters eyes were now focused on the new arrival with great interest.

"So that's the infamous Fenrir, I must say he defiantly has the intimidating look down and he even managed to locate us almost instantly. He's defiantly no ordinary teenager."

Sakaki however, had a different opinion as his aura was currently flaring at the sight of the boy all the while chuckling rather darkly, "I don't know about that Akisame, all I know is I want to get down there so we can have that little "**talk**" I mentioned earlier." Akisame however put his hand firmly on his friends shoulder keeping him at bay like a leashed dog.

"Now now Sakaki, you remember the rules." The 100th degree street fighter frowned as he recited the rule, "A master must never interfere with a disciples battle unless its absolutely necessary." Akisame nodded with a smug smile, "That's right, besides it doesn't look like the kid came here to fight Kenichi, if anything seems like he may be on his side for a change. Lets just watch and see where this goes alright?"

Sakaki grunted in frustration at being told what to do but complied as the two-perched masters continued to watch the exchange.

Hermit remained unresponsive at first despite the rather harsh and coarse words that we just thrown at him before he decided to response, "Huh, did you come all this way just to insult me? If so you're even dumber than I had you pegged for." Fenrir however, took the insult in stride, as he now stood not far from the pair before making a glance at Kenichi who took a step back.

"Ease up Shirahama." Kenichi's eyes widened at the oddly enough calm look in the normally ferocious Fist's eyes, "Though you and I may not be on the best of terms I didn't come here to fight you nor do I intend to at any point right now." Kenichi eased up somewhat but remained on guard something Fenrir took note of.

"_Interesting, his stance is much stronger than it was the last time we fought and his eyes are almost devoid fear. Seems he decided to get a backbone after all." _Fenrir's harsh eyes turned to Hermit still awaiting a response, "As for why I'm here as I said I got a call telling me this idiot over her decided to pull off this little stunt with Loki, something I was strongly against and though Captain Angst over here to be smart enough to walk away. Instead he went along with it, so now I feel it's my civic duty to if I must beat some sense into him."

Hermit dropped into his stance at the call for attack looking at his for lack of better word at the moment comrade with anger, "What is it with you Fenrir, what difference does it make how I choose to do things or whose plans I follow, its none of your concern."

Hermit slowly lost his voice as he once again peered into the eyes that froze him in place during their last encounter, eyes as cold and fierce as the eyes of the true beast Fenrir. It was a look that managed to surprise even the masters at the sheer amount of KI being emitted from one so young. Kenichi actually found himself sweating under the sheer intensity of it all which was only magnified when he heard Fenrir speak.

"None of my concern huh Hermit. It's funny I thought we'd already had this conversation before, however, if you need a refresher course…." In the blink of an eye Fenrir appeared right in front of Hermit before smashing into his face with a powerful hard kick that sent the Sixth Fist flat on his back onto the muddy ground, while Fenrir looked down upon him intense anger, "Then I'm happy to oblige."

Kenichi found himself gapping with his jaw down to the ground in shock and sheer confusion at what was taking place, _"Um, did I miss something here! I though these guys were here to kick my ass not each other. Then again I'm not complaining."_

Hermit slowly raised his upper body up quickly causing his hood to fall as he rubbed the red boot print across his face. With a snarl he looked back up at Fenrir though quickly found himself frozen in place by the look as Fenrir spoke, "Listen Hermit and listen good. Contrary to how you might feel about me and your typical dickass attitude I do still consider you a comrade. As such its part of my job as a comrade to make sure your sorry ass doesn't end up screwing the rest of his life over because he can't let go of the past."

Hermit anger shrunk slightly as he again recalled their brief but informative conversation not too long ago. It had struck a chord in the Sixth Fist's mind and heart but not enough to change him all that much.

As Hermit mused slightly over his thoughts Fenrir's intense KI slowly lessened as his eyes adopted a more sorrowful look one that Hermit recalled once before. "Natsu, I've seen what happens to people who follow the path your on and trust me it doesn't lead to anything but an empty void." Fenrir's tone seemed aged as it if he'd suddenly aged in the blink of an eye. Sakaki and Akisame were somewhat surprised by the boys tone.

"Now I'm starting to understand what Kensei meant when he mentioned the look in that kids eyes. His tone contains a great deal of experience and emotions that shouldn't exist in someone as young as this."

"Man this kid must have been through some real kind of hell."

"Now, now gentlemen we can't have you two fighting, remember that's against the rules."

Fenrir's eyes slowly became consumed with rage as they shifted towards the main reason and person who drove him to come. The sight of the blue haired trickster caused the Capoeria warrior to growl like beast, "_Loki!_"

Hermit and Kenichi had similar looks on their faces, though Hermits was more cold and calm whist Kenichi's was burning with intense anger. So much so that he took a step forward and pointed at Loki with a look of fury, "LOKI where's Honoka you Bastard, give her back right now."

The smiling Fist smirked at the boys frustration which only grew wider as with each second, "Sure thing Shirahama, I'm nothing if not a reasonable person and seeing as how you made it this far you deserve some kind of reward." With a snap of his fingers his subordinate Number 20 emerged from the broken down church with Honoka locked in a tight grip.

With the hostage in sight Loki redirected his attention to the audience below, "There you go Shirahama, here she is safe and sound. Feel any better?"

Kenichi quickly geared up to charge right for his sister despite being surround on all sides when a bright flash near his sisters neck stopped him cold. The young disciple could only look on in horror as his sisters captor had quickly pulled out a four inch knife and placed it directly at his sisters jugular.

Loki chuckled at the boys response waving his finger in disapproval, "Un Un un, sorry Shiraham but your little stand is over and done with. Unless you want you sister to get cut up I suggest you stay right where you are."

Kenichi slowly felt the rage in side him build as he could barely contain himself from running over, managing to keep himself back for fear of his sisters safety, all the while his rage filled eyes locked on Loki, his mind filled with images of smashing his fist into that large grin and knocking his teeth in every direction. Yet surprisingly his thoughts were soon overwhelmed by a loud almost animalistic growl followed by an intense KI aura.

"LOKI YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT, THIS IS GOING WAY TOO DAMN FAR. LET THE GIRL GO OR SO HELP ME GOD I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE EVERY SECOND OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE A LIVING HELLISH NIGHTMARE!" Loki actually lost his grin and broke out in a cold sweat at the sheer intense rage coming from Fenrir. Number 20 could barely keep herself standing, sweat pouring down her back and clothes, just managing to keep a grip on her knife. Thankfully Honoka's senses were acute enough to register the intense aura though even she was slightly frightened by Fenrir's anger.

Hermit and Kenichi took a step back at the anger filled Fist though Kenichi was rather curious at the boys rage before turning hesitantly to Hermit, "Um Hermit, what's up with Fenrir aren't you guys supposed to be on the same side."

Hermit's eyes moved slightly to acknowledge his enemies words but just barely unable to take them off of his houseguest who was currently leaking out aura that seemed to resemble his masters, only it was much fouler and contained far greater blood lust. "We may be on the same side Shirahama but for most of the Fists that's where our loyalties end. That's especially true when it comes to Loki who's never really been very liked among any of the Fists. Though in Fenrir's case he's got a particular grudge against him."

Kenichi looked on puzzled at the source of conflict between his enemies and his facial expression was all Hermit needed to continue, "Not long after Fenrir knocked your girlfriend around Loki proposed putting this particular little plan of his into action as a way to put you down for good. However, Fenrir was heavily against it, saying we shouldn't resort to what he called low brow tactics to fight you. Not quite sure why though…Then again I really don't see why you should care either Shirahama."

The once cowardly boy flinched a little at the blondes glare though not but much since it seemed to contain less fury than usual. Though Kenichi turned his attention to Fenrir still radiating his KI as he drew closer to Loki.

The Fourth Fist for all his grandstanding and cocky attitude was currently trying maintain his air of confidence at the furious individual slowly making his way over to him. "Nooow come on Fenrir, we're on the same team remember, don't forget I got you into Ragnarock after all and I can just as easily have you removed."

Loki's misguided attempt at intimidation did little to slow his enemy's advancement, as he continued to look at him eyes full of hate, "Loki, I may be grateful to you for allowing me to join Ragnarock. However, that's where my gratitude for you falls. I've been casting a blind eye to your crap for too long. You've crossed the line this time and I won't be satisfied until you're lying face down on the ground whining like the little BITCH you are."

He stopped just twenty feet away from the church before stomping his foot hard on to the ground as declaration, "NOW GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! Or are you so weak and cowardly that you don't even have the balls to fight me man to man, assuming you are even a man."

That last crack actually struck a nerve in the Fourth Fist. Contrary to popular belief Loki despite all his trickery wasn't fond of being insulted or mocked. Despite how afraid he may have felt being insulted by Fenrir wasn't something he was gonna take lying down. It also didn't help that he was the one who got the Ninth Fist in and was currently ruining not one but two of his very well crafted plans. Add all that together and even he decided to say "Screw it I'm kicking his ass."

Loki stood tall as he made his way to the ledge, "Number 20!" The military girl straightened herself out as her boss called to her, "Yes Loki?"

The Fourth Fist slowly regained his smile as he stopped at the edge of the ledge, "Keep a firm grip on the brat, she's our insurance policy. I've got a rabid dog in desperate need of some house training."

With that Loki just leaned over the ledge actually falling forward. Yet with impressive agility the Fourth Fist flipping forward before wrapping his legs around the nearest pillar and actually using the momentum to swing around it like a tether ball before pushing off and landing on the ground in not far from Fenrir.

With a crack of his neck and another chuckle Loki loosened himself out before enter a stance with his hands in knife position. "Hope you're ready for an ass kicking Fenrir. Time I show you whose in charge around here."

The Ninth Fist merely snorted at the Fourth Fists attempt to intimidate him, yet oddly enough didn't enter his Ginga stance meriting a look of confusion from Loki. "What's the matter Fenrir, too afraid to try out your little dance techniques on me?"

Fenrir growled at the insult but shook it off and merely prepared himself, "No Loki, I just don't feel like wasting my Capoeria on someone as weak as you." Loki took the insult as one would expect and charged in hard without even blinking he sent his knife hand out towards Fenrir smirking as he moved.

"_Fenrir may be a strong fighter but he doesn't know a thing about how I fight or my special Repeating Knife strike….UGH"_ Loki let out a brief grunt of pain as Fenrir's right foot collided with his face sending before Fenrir leapt up and shot both his legs out into Loki's ribs sending him flying back towards the church.

He made an impact with the wall and coughed up pretty violently before sliding down. Those present watch the display with different reactions, Kenichi's was one of awe, Hermit's of mild interest while Sakaki and Akisame looked with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

Truth be told it was obvious to both that while Loki was no amateur fighter by any means, the gap between him and Fenrir was still obviously vast. Thus it hardly seemed necessary to use such a powerful kick on his opponent, especially one so vicious.

Fenrir however, didn't seem to be done as he advanced towards the downed Fist, determined to continue his onslaught. Loki on the other hand managed to straighten his back out and coughed up some blood before getting a good glance at Fenrir through his now cracked glasses. The fourth Fist struggled to get up as his adversary continued his advance.

"You hold it right there." The Ninth Fists eyes darted upwards towards the balcony of the church while Loki smirked in response, _"Looks like the tables have turned in my favor at last."_

It was true for his faithful follower Number 20 currently had her knife right at Honoka's neck while the frightened girl could only freeze in at the blades cold touch. Her captor looked at the people below with a dark grin, "If you lay one more finger on Loki, I swear I cut this midget's throat open."

At the sight of the hostage in mortal danger Fenrir froze in place while Kenichi started to enter into a mix of panic and anger. Loki all the while broke out into a long string of maniacal laughter as he got to his feet, "Nicely done Number 20, as long as we have the girl they won't lay a finger on us."

Loki's attention turned to Fenrir still frozen in place as he wiped some of the blood off his lip from the last attack with a smirk of victory on his face, "Well Fenrir looks like things are going my way now doesn't it. Now unless you want the girl to get hurt I suggest you stand perfectly still and let me commence with your punishment for attacking me."

Oddly enough Fenrir didn't react as Loki envisioned as he merely raised his eyes to meet with Loki's only to find they were in a position that indicated the Ninth Fist was smiling at him through his mask.

"Just what the hell are you smiling about Fenrir?"

With a mirthful chuckle the ninth Fist merely tilted his head indicating he was pointing behind himself. Loki followed his direction and quickly took note of something he'd missed.

"What the, where the hell is Hermit?"

Kenichi who'd fallen somewhat into the background quickly turned his attention to his side only to find that his hooded adversary was missing. _"Where'd he go?"_

A whooshing sound of a cape in the wind got the two fighters attention to look up towards the balcony and were met with a surprising sight. Fenrir however, didn't even have to look to know what was happening and was secretly laughing inside.

"_Guess he's not such a heartless bastard after all. Good to know!"_

What he was referring to was Hermit who at the sight of Honoka literally under the knife he quickly reacted in a manner one wouldn't expect. That is he charged in to save the girl who reminded him so much of the sister he'd failed to protect so long ago. Though he'd never truly admit it Hermit had grown to enjoy the girls company and she'd managed to melt some of the barriers he'd placed around his heart.

Thus he choose to put his hatred and distrust aside somewhat and rush to her rescue.

With incredible leapt power the Sixth Fist jumped to the balcony right in front of Number 20 and the hostage Honoka. The Military otaku girl couldn't even react fast enough as Hermit's hand shot out like a bullet quickly wrapping itself around the hand the girl held her knife in. With quick movement he pulled the arm and knife away from the girls neck and with a good amount of pressure forced her to drop the deadly weapon from her hand. He then finished off the job with a hard backhand to the girls face sending her into the wall and out cold.

Honoka watched everything happen in the blink of an eye and once it was over looked upon her savior with awe and joy. Hermit seeing the girl was safe turned to Fenrir with an angry look on his face, "FENRIR KILL LOKI NOW!"

The Ninth Fist chuckled at the request but instead shook his head before turning to Kenichi. The young disciple seeing his sister out of danger quickly took off like a rocket towards Loki, the one who'd put his sister in harms way. With unbelievable speed and ferocity he struck the distracted Fist hard in the jaw with a solid karate punch.

With a roar of fury he put all his weight into the strike sending Loki at the church wall, which due to its age and the previous collision gave out. Kenichi stood his smoking fist extended peering into the rubble as Loki struggled to get out.

Kenichi looked ready to continue his onslaught of revenge only to find a hand on his shoulder, he turned to find Fenrir behind him shaking his head in disapproval, "Don't waste your time on him Kenichi, it isn't worth it. Besides.." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to Honoka who was beside Hermit having carried her down from the balcony ledge.

"She needs you more now than him."

Kenichi felt somewhat awkward with one of his greatest enemies being so close in proximity to him. Then again Hermit was the same thing and he just save his sister so, for now he let it slide. With a nod he quickly ran towards his sister and embraced her in a hug, though flinched slightly from the pain of his injuries.

Fenrir on the other hand took notice of Hermit who'd made his way over to him. Neither made eye contact with each other, their faces respectively hidden, yet Fenrir couldn't help but smirk, "That was a pretty cool thing you just did, saving the girl like that. Guess you do have a heart after all."

Hermit just grunted in response, not willing to show any real emotion, "Don't get all mushy on me Fenrir, I just didn't like the idea of seeing the brat get hurt."

"She'd be proud of you, you know."

Hermit's face shot up to look at Fenrir who merely kept his back to the Sixth Fist knowing he wouldn't try to hit him this time. The blonde was too distracted thinking back to his sister smiling at him and then looking at Honoka with a similar smile towards Kenichi before looking over at him and giving him the same look. The sight actually managed to bring a small smile to his normally stone cold face as well.

He slowly looked towards the now clear skies as the sun shined through, its light actually covering him. Hermit actually felt something inside of himself, as if the light from the sun had managed to illuminate some of the darkness in his soul. It was a warm feeling that actually felt pretty nice.

"Well this is certainly an interesting development."

Everyone present suddenly felt themselves pulled out of their respective thoughts as their eyes darted towards the source of the voice. Fenrir, Hermit and Loki however, recognized the voice instantly merited hard looks from the two hooded fighters and a look of fear from Loki.

"He's here!" All three spoke collectively.

Kenichi however, looked on in confusion as his attention turned towards the source of the voice. His gaze quickly caught the image of a young man about his age with short purple hair and blue eyes behind thin-rimmed glasses. The individual was strangely well dress in a white business suit and pants with white dress shoes, and a yellow handkerchief in his left pocket. However, what Kenichi noticed were the gloves on the boy's hands. They were pure black gloves with a golden circle on the top of the hands; a snake's head biting the other end as the top and in the middle was a golden Roman numeral. It was like the ones Fenrir and Hermit wore except this one had the symbol for one on it.

It didn't take long for him to put the pieces together and sweat to start building in his body. Fenrir however, looked on in anger at the approaching individual having not expected his untimely arrival.

"The First Fist, Odin. Just what the hell is he doing here?"

***Ninth Fist End***

Okay, finally done. First off I know this might not be the best chapter I've written and could be better but this is a pretty hard moment in the series to pull off and personally I somewhat wanted to move it along so I could get to the next one. Also I apologize for taking so long but I was trying to write something new and it took longer than I thought and I hit a few mental roadblocks. Still I got this done and feel good about it, though if you don't like it I apologize and will try to make the next chapter better. Hope you keep reading and check out **Oracion Eight **also if you get the chance.

_Things to Address (Stuff I know you'll ask about and I feel the need to get out of the way)_

_**Hermit not stabbing himself- **__Okay if you've seen the series you know Hermit actually stabs himself to save Honoka from Number 20. I didn't do this because well I honestly didn't see why he needed to do that in the first place. He was clearly strong enough to pull her arm away and then all he'd have to do is grip her arm enough to knock the knife away. That aside I wanted this to take a different turn that will be better revealed later._

_**Naruto/Fenrir not kicking Kenichi's teeth in and instead Loki-**__ Now I've made it a point to bash Kenichi in this story and make Naruto hate his guts. However, that's only in terms of his fighting abilities and views towards fighting. In that sense Naruto whose grown up fighting for survival takes it seriously and thinks Kenichi needs a wake up call and behaves too naively. However, in this case its Loki whose acted like an ass by pulling something Orochimaru would do. Naruto has never been one to employ such tactics and doesn't like the idea of other people pulling it. Further more he did this after Naruto told him about his own views, thus he has every right to be pissed. _

_**Miu Trusting Fenrir-**__ Now Miu may be naïve and a bit of an airhead in most areas but in terms of fighting and reading people she's an expert. It's very easy to believe Miu would be able to pick up on certain things about a person if she fought them and isn't so narrow minded that she wouldn't believe someone is truly evil just because they kicked her ass. Miu would be able to see that while Fenrir/Naruto may not like her or Kenichi doesn't make him a bad person overall and in that respect would be able to trust him in this area especially considering how strongly Naruto would feel about saving Honoka and kicking Loki's smug ass. _

_**Naruto's Loyalty to Ragnarock- **__This is a bit tough to describe but to put it a way Naruto is loyal to the gang itself, the collective group of people. In terms of individual members its different in that Naruto only respects or is loyal to those he believes deserve it. He is grateful to Loki however, knows he is a deceitful guy and someone willing to pull anything to get his way. As a result his trust towards Loki has always been rocky, this latest incdent just gave him an excuse to kick his ass. As for Hermit, Thor, Valkyrie and even Freya he is loyal to them both out of respect for them as strong fighters and friends. So really his loyalty all depends on the people. _

_**Fenrir Kicking Loki's ass so easily- **__I don't think this needs much explaining but I'll say it anyway. Its true Loki as a fist is obviously a strong fighter and a high ranking member. However, as we've seen he still relies more on tricks then actual skill. Thus he'd simply be no match for a seasoned warrior like Naruto with or without his Capoeria training, plan and simple._

_**Is Naruto friends with Kenichi now**__- I know people will ask this after this considering all that happened. No Naruto isn't friends with Kenichi but not so much enemies either. I suppose you could say they're kind of like very serious rivals or somewhat like how Kenichi and Hermit were at this point in the story. That is they talk and such but still fight with each other since they are on different sides. Though Naruto's hatred for Kenichi has lessened somewhat since he see's he's become a more serious fighter and person. Likewise Kenichi realizes that Naruto/Fenrir isn't as cold or ruthless as he originally thought thus will view him in a different light._

Alright I think that's about everything, I do hope you enjoy this chapter and that it isn't too bad. I will also try to get the next chapter too you as soon as I possibly can. So until next time Agurra out.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey everyone welcome to the next episode of **The Ninth Fist. **Now I know the last chapter wasn't as entertaining. However, I aim to make this particular chapter extremely entertaining and developed as its one I have been planning for quite some time and one I've be particularly interest in write, why. Three words ROMANTIC BUILD UP. That's a right folk, for everyone hoping for some serious romantic development and or humor well you're about to get your way. Now this chapter will mainly be focused on Naruto and Renkas relationship really starting to develop mutually and actually start to really take shape. Granted there will be some reveals and surprises here or there though I mainly want this to be more of a romantic chapter so bear with me if that's not what you're looking for. Just remember that I'm not very experienced with romance well stories in general but I will try my best with this chapter. So without further adue let the Fireworks fly.

**Disclaimer:**

**Renka: Agurra of the Darkness does not own Naruto or Kenichi the Migthest Disciple in anyway. Why do I have to say this again?**

**ME: I'm the writer and what I say goes, besides you should be happy, you and Naruto are the main focus of this chapter.**

**Naruto: Really! Sweet, though what's gonna happen**

**(SMASH)**

**Naruto: OW, What the Hell Renka**

**Renka: Idiot if he told us that what would be the point in writing the chapter. Now come on lets finish this so the chapter can start.**

**ME: Thank you, now then I hope you all enjoy.**

***Ninth Fist Start***

Everyone present stood in ominous silence as the First Fist slowly made his way over to the collective group. Kenichi's friends who'd finally arrived, having been delayed by Loki's minions after Fenrir moved forward we having similar reactions. Even the fearsome rainstorm that had been raging not long ago had stopped, as if out of fear of this individual's presence.

While it was pretty obvious he was dangerous, oddly enough Fenrir and Hermit seemed pretty calm. The Sixth Fist currently standing next to Honoka, keeping one arm in front of her in a protective manner, his eyes following his purple haired leaders movements with the precision of a hawk.

Kenichi merely watched the odd individual closely, he wasn't on guard at the moment but was ready to attack should the need arise, _"So that's the First Fist. The leader of Ragnarock, man I don't know why but I'm getting a seriously bad feeling from that guy." _Said uneasiness was carried to his allies with the exception of Miu who looked at the new enemy with a calculating gaze.

Loki however, surprisingly looked pretty shaken, his teeth clenching in either frustration or terror was hard to tell. One of his hands was gripped rather intensely as his gaze remained fixed on Odin, whose cold eyes matched his glance almost causing the Fourth Fist to lose his composure and take a step back in fear.

Finally after several moments that seemed like an eternity the First First stopped. His eyes slowly moved from one side to the other, scoping out everyone present, with the exception of the masters in the tree. As his eyes continued to move they seemed to narrow in irritation as they landed on Loki as well as catching a quick glance of Honoka and the beat up Kenichi.

He slowly raised his hand to his glasses before gently adjusting them while calming clearing his throat, Loki quickly straightened himself up as if on reflex. A decision well merited considering he found himself under Odin's cold gaze.

"Well Loki, this is certainly a fine mess you've gotten yourself into. Tell me, when did I give you permission to carry out this little scheme of yours?" Despite the tense air and all the eyes on him, the well dress warrior managed to display a completely dignified sense of composure, almost like that of a diplomat or prestigious figure.

Though his words at face value didn't contain any ill intent, the mere sound of them shook Loki up as Odin continued to peer at him with that cold gaze, "Well Loki, I'm waiting to hear your explanation, so lets have it."

It was interesting to see the normally talkative and loud mouthed Fourth Fist so quiet, it was actually pretty creepy. Even Hermit was a little unsettled by how anxious Loki was around Odin. Though one person out the group wasn't the least bit afraid and ready to make his presence known.

"I'd say in a nut shell Odin, he went behind your back and put this scheme into affect under your nose. I'm surprised you didn't see it coming?"

The rather blunt and mocking tone actually caused the composed Fist's hand to twitch, if only for a moment. His expression remained the same yet his eye slowly turned to the direction of the voice, "I'm surprised to see you had a hand in this Fenrir. As I recall you were vehemently against this kind of action from the very beginnings were you not?"

Those present could obviously pick up the retaliated mockery in his tone, a clear attempt to stir up the Ninth Fist. He seemed to respond with a tight clenching of his fists but merely looked at Odin with an ice-cold gaze that would have frozen a normal person solid.

"Don't even try to blame this on me Odin. I only came here to make sure that a certain idiot I know who'd gone along with this plan didn't manage to screw himself over anymore than he already has. And I also wanted to kick the living shit out of Loki for this asinine stunt of his." His tone was somewhat loud and violent, Odin remained calm again adjusting his glasses with the slightest touch.

"My, my Fenrir you should really watch your language. After all there is a child present." His eye slowly shifted to Honoka who withdrew somewhat only for Hermit to get in front of her, causing Odin's all seeing eyes to focus on him, "Hm, Hermit it's surprising to see you here too. I never would have expected you of all people to go along with one of Loki's schemes."

Hermit already frustrated by Loki's stunts, his fight being interrupted and the conflict going on in his brain was having a really hard time not lunging at Odin's tone or his implications. However, he was surprised when Odin merely raised his palm towards the Sixth Fist in disinterest.

"No need to get bent out of shape Hermit. As it stands I'm willing to forgive you for this little insurrection seeing as how it would technically be your first step out of line. Just try to remember whose in charge next time."

As he changed his attention to Loki, Hermit prepared to attack him in a rage only to be stopped by a gaze from Fenrir. Though he didn't make so much as a sound the look alone conveyed the simple message, _"Don't, now's not the time for this."_

The hooded fist reluctantly swallowed his pride and stayed quiet while Odin kept looked at Loki with a gaze that slowly became cold, "You on the other hand Loki aren't so fortunate. You see I've been growing rather tired of you constantly going behind my back with these little plans of yours, undermining my authority."

In a flash of a second there was a quick movement that Miu, Fenrir and the masters caught but was invisible to the others. Those remaining who didn't catch sight of the movement at first acted as if nothing happened but their eyes quickly widened, thought none more so then Loki whose face was now completely exposed, revealing his surprisingly good looking face to the world.

Though what was more surprising was his signature goggles currently resting in Odin's hand. The now exposed Fist quickly covered his face with his hands in embarrassment was Odin kept talking with clear authority, "If it weren't for the fact that the Great Sage Fist finds your information gathering skills a vital asset I'd have you removed on the spot." To emphasize his point he crushed the goggles with a single grip shattering them to pieces.

Loki growled in frustration yet still kept his hand glued to his face to conceal it, Odin's eyes then slowly drifted oddly enough to Kenichi, an action Fenrir paid particular interest too.

"Well well, its nice to see you again Kenichi. It certainly has been along time hasn't it." Unlike when he'd been grilling Loki or conversing with the other fists Odin's tone here was actually almost friendly and nostalgic. It was something Fenrir and even Hermit had never seen in him.

Fenrir actually found his eyes darting between the two individuals, taking note of Odin's own relaxed posture, _"Looks like Odin has some kind of connection to Shirahama over here. That's odd… Wait a second if I'm reading into this right than that would mean Odin knows Kenichi on a personal level. If that's the case then how is it he didn't know the Kenichi we'd been dealing with all this time who we've referred to by his full name wasn't the same Kenichi he'd probably known in the past." _Fenrir suddenly found himself even more suspicious of his current leader than before at the possibility of him holding out information.

Though while he was able to draw the conclusion quickly enough Kenichi hadn't a clue what was going on, looking at Odin as if he were a complete stranger, "I'm sorry but who are you exactly?" His tone was honest and blunt, though Odin didn't seem the least bit shaken by his answer, almost as if expecting it.

a

With a sigh he again adjusted his glasses in a calm manner, "I see, so I guess you don't remember me after all this time. Oh well its no problem, it'll come to you when the time is right along with the promise you and I made a long time ago." Kenichi's eyes widened at the implication of his connection to his enemy yet for the life of him couldn't recall any of what said individual was telling him.

Odin merely took the information he'd gotten and slowly began to walk away, though not before directing another cold look towards Loki that caused him to stiffen like a statute. There were no words, but his expression said all that needed to be said.

With a grunt of annoyance Loki kept his face covered before looking to the balcony, "Number 20, we're pulling out so get down here already." The military otaku managed to recover from Hermit's rather brutal attack quickly leaped down to Loki's side as they prepared to leave.

However, Loki turned to face those present, though his gaze was primarily focused on Fenrir having been the key distorter of his plan, before pointing at the hooded Fist, "Don't think I'll forget about this Fenrir. Mark my words I'll make you regret crossing me." He then turned his attention to Hermit still atop the balcony, "And the same goes for you Hermit, don't think I'll let you get away for mucking up my plan either."

Neither fighter flinched or even reacted to his proclamation and watched as the humiliated and defeated trickster quickly followed behind his leader, lest he suffer greater humiliation.

Once the two were gone the air grew progressively less tense, so much so that Kenichi promptly fell on his butt, too sore from the fight to stand though still maintaining his optimistic attitude, "Man I was afraid I was gonna have to fight that guy too. If that had happened I'd be dead for sure."

Miu slowly approached her friend with a curious look as her eyes were focused on the area where Odin was, "That was pretty strange though, Kenichi are you sure you don't know that Odin guy from somewhere?"

Kenichi's expression alone answered her question for her, his gaze indicated his mind working to try and pieces together the strange puzzle of Odin and what relationship he and Kenichi had, "Sorry Miu, but I really can't think of anything, whoever he is its pretty obvious he knows more than I do."

"Sorry to interrupt you're little chat but I believe I have something that belongs to your Shirahama."

Kenichi's eyes widened as his head quickly jolted up only to quickly be slammed down to the ground and have his face obstructed by something pink and soft. He actually howled in a humorous manner as the pain from his injuries and the fall clashed like two high-speed trains.

Sadly his sister Honoka, now clinging to him for dear life paid no mind to his brothers pain, merely content to bury her head in his chest, "Oh Big Brother you were so cool out there, it was incredible even though you didn't win."

Kenichi quickly deflated like a beach ball at his sister acknowledging that while he'd fought hard against Hermit, they hadn't technically decided a winner. Though said thought quickly reminded him of something as he slowly pulled his sister off of him before turning to Hermit with a grateful expression.

"Tanimoto, I wanna thank you for saving Honoka, I really appreciate." Hermit diverted his face to avoid people seeing him slightly blush in embarrassment to the praise though only slightly, trying to maintain his tough guy act, "Sheesh don't get the wrong idea Shirahama, I just didn't want Fenrir or the brat getting on my back about it."

Said fist quickly made himself known by slapping his coarse cohort upside the head meriting an angry looked from the Sixth Fist which Fenrir merely shrugged off, "Quit trying to act cool. You did it because you didn't want to see the little girl get hurt, even if she does annoy the living hell out of you, you still enjoy having her around."

Now Hermit had gone from just kind of angry to flat out embarrassed anger as he slowly looked at Honoka who as expected listened to everything Fenrir had just said and now looking at Hermit with a very cute yet kind of creepy happy face.

Hermit actually slapped his forehead in frustration, his mind portraying images of the little girl running around his house causing a huge mess in every direction trying to clean it all the while feeding him food that was likely to give him food poisoning. _"My life just went from sucking to hell in a manner of three seconds. Thanks a lot Fenrir."_

Though Fenrir himself actually looked in surprise as Kenichi had made his way over to the Ninth Fist and said Fist geared himself up for an attack. However, Kenichi surprised him by outreaching his hand as a show of good faith with a smile on his face.

"I'd also like to thank you too Fenrir, you helped save Honoka too and I'm grateful to you."

Kenichi awaited his response hoping that he'd return the gesture, but sadly found his hand slapped away, though not in a violent manner.

Fenrir merely looked at Kenichi with his eyes as cold as ever, though nowhere near as harsh as before, "Don't get the wrong idea Shirahama. Just because I helped save your sister doesn't mean we're friends now. I did this to save the girl who has no reason to be involved in these matters in the first place and to keep Hermit from screwing his life over. You and I are still enemies and I still intend to settle things with you in the future, so keep that in mind." His tone though harsh was still calm and for the most part Kenichi took it rather well, his friends looking on.

Fenrir quietly pulled his hand back and slowly turned his back to the group, though not before turning his head slightly to address Hermit, "Hermit, after this little stunt Loki's gonna be gunning for both our asses from now on. So I feel it'd be good for both of us if we made ourselves scarce for awhile."

The Sixth Fist didn't seem too broken up by the idea and seemed okay with it, "That's fine with me, I'd been planning to go and train some more anyway." The Sixth fist quietly turned to Kenichi who straightened himself, "Shirahama, we'll call this fight a draw for now. I wanna fight you properly without any interruptions or as a part of someone's plot. The next time we fight it'll be on my terms."

Kenichi actually took the challenge with confidence bringing his fist out in front almost in excitement, "I'll look forward to it Tanimoto. You can count on it."

Fenrir took one last glance at the group before walking away and disappearing from the scene. Hermit quickly disappeared as well, meriting the two hidden masters to jump down from their perch.

Sakaki looked down a Kenichi with beaming pride, "Nice fight you had there Kenichi, a little too flashy but I'd been lying if I said I didn't enjoy it." He quickly chugged another beer while his disciple looked at him with a blank shocked face.

Miu however, looked at the pair with a suspicious look, "Just how long were you two up in that tree?"

Akisame however, simply waved her off calmly, "Its not important Miu, we just wanted to see Kenichi in action and if possible catch a glimpse of the infamous Fenrir you've been talking about. Have to say I was pretty impressed. Though Sakaki didn't you say you wanted to **Talk **with him."

Kenichi actually felt himself worry for his enemy at the idea of his Karate Master having any kind of conversation with the Ninth Fist. Thankfully the drunken master looked away slightly embarrassed at not going through with his intended action, "Must have slipped my mind, hehe. Well no reason to dwell on that right now, gotta get Kenichi back to Ryozanpaku to get healed up and start training again."

The aforementioned disciple quickly started to panic at the idea of training again and attempted to flee, only for his massive master to hoist him over his shoulder and carrying him away with Miu and friends in tow.

Akisame however, took one last glance at where Fenrir had disappeared too, smirking slightly as the wind blew through his hair and face, "I have a feeling that we'll be seeing Fenrir again quiet soon in the near future." With that thought in mind the Jujitsu master followed after his comrades his mind already thinking of what ways he'd planned to interact with the mysterious fist.

Meanwhile said topic of conversation currently had something more pressing on his mind then the prospect of meeting and possible being interrogated by dangerous masters.

"_Great now I'm homeless again, can't stay at Hermit's house since Loki knows I stay there and I figure it'd be better to give Natsu and the kid some bonding time together. Looks like I've got only one option."_

(Scene change Gekirin)

Renka who'd already been shell-shocked once was now currently standing at the entrance of the Restaurant with her jaw opened wide, again shell shocked at the sight before her, barely managing out her next words in a stutter.

"You, wan..nna WHAT!"

The source of his rather odd speech pattern was her now secret crush Naruto whom she'd tried and failed to ask out not to long ago, now standing before her with a suitcase and an uncomfortable grin on his face. "hehe, funny story Renka," The blonde rubbed his head in embarrassment as he continued to speak to the still stunned bluenet.

All the while Hakubi found himself chuckling at the development listening intently to the conversation as Naruto spoke.

"See I got more or less kicked out of the place I was staying in and well I was wondering if possibly I could live here with you and Hakubi at Gekirin?"

(Pause)

Renka's face didn't show any sort of change, as she almost mechanically tried to comprehend her next words. Thankfully Hakubi, being the insightful master he was quickly managed to come in and bail the frozen girl out.

"Of course Naruto, your welcome to stay here as long as you like. We're happy to have you here, aren't we Renka?" with a slight elbow nudge said girl was at last knocked out of her mind pause quickly coming back to reality.

Naturally once the full realization of what was going on hit her, she was practically doing back flips in her mind at the idea. _"YES! Now Naruto won't be able to disappear on me like he did earlier."_ The girl quickly paused and blushed in embarrassment recalling her rather epic failure in her attempt to ask the blonde out. As she thought about it further her face turned redder, _"Plus with us being together more often I might be able to learn more about him, maybe even…!"_

At the risk of acting like a screaming schoolgirl Renka quickly shook her romantic thoughts out her head for the time being and stored them away for another time. Once her composure was regained she offered Naruto a simple look of delight, "Yeah, now I can keep an eye on you so you don't slack off anymore or run off in the middle of your shift." At the recalling of the event Renka quickly snapped her fingers before getting in Naruto's face with a suspicious look, "That reminds me, just where the heck did you run off too. By the sound of how you reacted to that phone call and bolted out of here, must have been pretty serious."

The blonde quickly gulped recalling not only taking off in a rush but also leaving Renka hanging without a clear explanation, _"Crap, I completely forgot about that, There's no way I can tell Renka what actually happened. I could always lie, no I already feel bad enough about lying to her once and she's already been so nice to me, Hakubi too. Now they're even agreeing to let me live here, I can't just lie but I can't tell the truth either DAMN what do I do?"_

At the sight of his rather conflicted face, Hakubi could easily tell Naruto didn't want to share his secret. Though not one to force a person to reveal something they wanted to keep buried Hakubi quickly devised a counter measure, one that would kill two birds with one stone.

A slight glint in his eyes he quickly leaned towards Renka and whispered something into her ear. At first her face heated up some in embarrassment before shifting to a cunning smirk, indicating it was something she was obviously interested in.

With a nod and no warning she lightly slapped the conflict blonde in the back of the head, getting a slight yelp from him.

"OW, Oh Come on Renka I didn't even do anything that time, what the hell."

Said girl merely sighed before putting her hands on her hips with a gleeful smirk growing across her face, "Listen Naruto, I'm willing to forgive you for running off like that earlier today and you don't have to tell me why you did it."

At first Naruto was about to breath a sigh of relief when he noticed Renka's grin grow causing his shoulders to drop at the obvious sign of there being a catch to such a generous offer.

"Alright Renka, what's the catch?"

Renka quickly brought one of her hands up to her face in an excited gesture as she spoke, "You have to come along with me somewhere and you can't refuse no matter what."

Here is where things went weird. Naruto had spent his whole life fighting for his life as a ninja, defeated a man who'd thought he was god, spent six months on the high seas training with an insane master and now acting as an enforcer for a tough gang, never backing down without a hint of fear, shock or regret.

Yet despite all that he'd gone through, those few words stopped him cold, causing him to freeze in place and his face to rapidly heat up at the insinuation. His mind now running a mile a minute, unable to process the stimuli in mere seconds his brain pretty much self-destructed.

Though he did manage to retain enough brain function to ask a simple question he'd thought he'd never ask anyone period, "you mean lllike aaa Date!"

As if like a declaration of war or peace everyone in the restaurant was suddenly hushed by the words. All eyes quickly glued to Naruto and Renka, both staring at each other in hushed silence. Their faces red with embarrassment, Hakubi all the while chucking in the background as if he'd just smoked a whole bag of pot.

None was more shocked then Naruto who now felt like his heart was going to burst out his chest, ribs and all. In his entire life, no person had ever asked him out on anything resembling a date. Truthfully after leaving the village he thought that it was gonna remain that way.

Now here he was being asked a question by his very close and more importantly attractive friend who despite not knowing too well had slowly become very important to him. Truthfully he had slowly started to see Renka as more than just a friend but never even considered her possibly returning those feelings or even having them.

"_What do I do, What do I say! Think dammit think, okay um crap. I mean I could just say no but then again would going out with Renka really be so bad?"_

Just as it seemed this little mental debate wouldn't end a familiar fist managed to resolve his mental balancing act. Renka too embarrassed by the implication struck Naruto hard dead center in the face.

The shell-shocked blonde rocketed out the doors, across the pavement before colliding head first with a telephone pole, finally falling in a heap. Renka was currently standing with her fist outstretched, hyperventilating at what had just happened and staring at Hakubi still chuckling like a madman.

With an angry and embarrassment look she spoke to Hakubi with resentment, "You planned for that didn't you?"

The wise master merely diverted his eyes, acting as if all he heard was the shifting of the wind. Seeing little point in arguing Renka quickly walked out towards her downed friend who was still recovering from the punch.

With a little effort she quickly managed to get out, "Its not a date you idiot. Master Hakubi just told me where my dad's hiding out and I want you to come along with me got it?"

Surprisingly Naruto quickly got up and laughed lightly at the scene he'd just caused rubbing his head in shame while diverting his eyes, "oh, hehe sorry about that. Just the way you made it sound… Anyway sure I've got no problem with helping you with your dad, so lets go."

As if the little misadventure a moment ago hadn't occurred the two teens quickly disappeared into the night towards Ryozanpaku. Hakubi merely looked at the doorway with a smile on his face, knowing that things were progressing better than he'd hoped, if that little display was anything to say about it.

"_Now things can really start to get moving between those two. Hopefully spending some time together outside of this restaurant will help Naruto realize his feelings as well. With Kensei especially I have a feeling that those two will become a great deal closer if he has anything to say about it. If only to keep Renka out of his hair. Lets see how you measure up to the masters of Ryozanpaku Naruto."_

With his mental thoughts cleared and his plan set into motion the old master returned to his restaurant, taking one last look in the direction the two teens had taken off. Hoping that this next little adventure would lead both down a path that would hopefully strengthen the feelings between the two and perhaps even culminate into something more.

(Scene Change Ryozapaku)

On the other side of the city, Kenichi despite all the craziness that had just befallen him had somehow managed to find himself enough time to sit out and enjoy the night sky.

Enjoying the cool breeze flowing against his skin, his mind flashing back to his fight with Hermit and how much he'd managed to improve since their last fight. True to his vow, Kenichi had been training himself harder and with greater determination which seemed to be paying off.

Yet he couldn't help but feel somewhat confused about Fenrir's actions not too long ago. "It's weird, here I thought Fenrir was just another heartless thug, but looks like I had him pegged all wrong. Wonder if there may be a possibility of us not having to fight each other someday, maybe even be friends."

Truthfully Kenichi didn't hate Fenrir, it took considerable effort to make Kenichi hate anybody. It was just everything he'd done up to that point made it seem like Fenrir wanted nothing more than to kill him and what he'd done to Miu not too long ago didn't exactly help. Yet now he actually helped rescue his sister and even knocked one of his fellow Ragnarock members around.

Kenichi actually found himself angrily rubbing his head in frustration at the seemingly endless puzzle that was Fenrir's actions and motives, "Dammit, I know the guy said we can't be friends but he still helped me out and took a big risk attacking Loki but still." The frustrated disciple continued to ruffle his hair angrily for several seconds until a voice he hadn't heard in a while brought him back to reality.

"So this is how my dad, _Trains _his number one disciple. Letting him sit on a porch why trying to pull his own hair out?"

Kenichi's brown eyes widened and his head quickly looked forward to be met with the sight of none other than Renka Ma, standing with a happy look on her face with one hand in a waving motion.

"Hey there Kenichi, its be awhile, how are you?"

Kenichi merely paused, just staring at the girl in front of him, surprised to say the least to see his sensei's daughter, wow he still wasn't used to saying that, now standing in front of him. Before he could react Renka's eyes quickly narrowed and slowly shifted to the sound of footsteps moving along in a creeping manner.

With a great deal of authority, like commanding a dog Renka shifted her finger outwards pointing towards the noise. "Hold it right there Daddy!"

Kenichi looked on only to find himself looking away slightly in shame at the sight of his Kenpo master currently sneaking towards the exit of Ryozanpaku like a some sneaker pervert, oh wait he was one. Regardless it was still shameful to see the man revered and respected as possibly the greatest master of Chinese Martial arts, using his skills to avoid talking with his daughter.

Kensei of course reacted almost immediately to his daughters call, slowly turning his head to face his daughter, looking at him with a disappointed gaze. Trying to play dumb he lightly waved to his daughter as if he intended to run into her, "Oh hello there Renka, I wasn't expecting to see you here. Um mind if I ask how you found me?"

Renka sighed at her father's poor attempt to bail himself out and placed her hands on her hips, "That's easy, I managed to get Hakubi to talk, he was actually very generous in giving the information. I was planning to make him so drunk he'd blab it out to me, but oh well, saved me some trouble." Kensei frowned at the sudden input imaging Hakubi laughing at him in his head, _"Dammit Uncle, I thought you were on my side in this mess."_

Of course the balding master saw little point in getting upset at his family betrayal, now thinking of a way to escape. Only problem was Renka came prepared with an X factor Kensei didn't count on.

"Sorry to interrupt Mr. Ma. However, why don't you just save us all a lot of pain and aggravation and just do as she says. You know Renka won't quit." Both Kensei and Kenichi's eyes widened considerably as the looked in the shadows behind Kensei to find Naruto standing there with his arms crossed, currently dressed in a black shirt, white jacket, jeans and black shoes. A bored and annoyed expression on his face as he stared down Renka's father though not before offering him a friendly wave.

Kenichi actually got out of his shock and quickly found himself little unnerved at the blondes' presence. In truth like with Fenrir, it wasn't that Kenichi didn't like Naruto especially considering how he'd helped save his and Renka's lives not long ago. Yet there was something about him that just made him feel uneasy, as if the boy were surrounded by an aura reminiscent of a battlefield. Still he was a friend of Renka's and she was Kenichi's friend now, sort of.

So with his mind working again he finally returned Renka's greeting and identified Naruto's presence, "Its nice to see you guys again, its been awhile. Glad you're both doing well." Renka offered him a brief glance and a smile though was prudent to not take her eyes of her slippery father. Naruto on the other hand merely glanced at him before resuming his glaze at Kensei, though he did offer him a few words.

"Seems like you've gotten a little bit better since the last time we saw each other Kenichi." The brown haired disciple actually found himself a little happy at the blondes praise, considering how well he'd fought against Sougetsu, which actually managed to ease his tense mind, if only a little.

"Thanks, what you said to me back when we first met really had an impact on me."

At that moment normally Naruto would have smirked as he once again had in impact on someones life. However, the blondes eyes were currently narrowed slightly, finding himself growing more uncomfortable being this close to his enemy and his masters. He was already regretting this little favor of Renka's but didn't have much of a choice at this point.

So with a sigh he returned his full attention to Kensei whose eyes were darting between the two before pointing at Naruto with an accusing finger, though his face was focused on Renka, "I can't believe you Renka, you actually dragged Naruto into this, that's hardly fair."

Renka however, snorted at his remark and pointed at him with a similar gesture, "Your one to talk about being fair, you left momma all alone in China to take care of your disciples so you could run off here and abandon your responsibilities. Besides.." Her face heated up slightly as she spoke, an action her father took note of despite her voice losing little force, "Naruto came because he wanted too, right Naruto."

Said Blonde who'd tried to stay out of the little spat between family members attempted to remain neutral, "Well honestly Renka I was kind of against this from the start cause it seems lik…" he promptly shut up as Renka glared at him before turning her glare to her father, now shaking like a leaf.

With an evil chuckle Renka quickly reached into her pocket, "You know Daddy, Momma's been really upset with you since you left, given all the work you dumped on her. Not to mention all the perverted stuff you've been doing right now. I wonder what she'd too you if…" Her hand quickly pulled out a small red cell phone that quickly opened with Renka's hand on the dial button. "I called her right now and told her exactly were you are?"

Kensei, the mighty Kung Fu master froze solid, sweat dripping down his body by the gallons looking at that phone as if it were the switch to an Electric Chair. In mere seconds he was at his daughters side, on his knees crying and begging her for mercy. "Renka PLEASE don't, Your mother will kill me if she finds me here." His mind quickly flashing to images of a shadowed woman, looking at him with fearsome eyes reminiscent of a wild tiger, eagerly awaiting to inflict the unholiest of pains upon him.

Sadly his groveling only served to make Renka's grin turn sinister, like she was enjoying it, "You know dad, I have mom's number on speed dial so all I have to do is press call and…"

Kensei now looked like he was gonna have a heart attack, his body paler than a bleached ghost. His eyes quickly shifted to Naruto in a pleading manner before moving over to him, "Naruto, please I'm begging you, make her stop please. I'll do anything, just don't let her make that call. She'll listen to you, I know she will, please." The sight of the grown man crying and begging truly creeped out the blonde and almost made him feel sorry for him. That is until he recalled exactly what said man had done to his wife which was a pretty assholish thing to do, reasons be damned. On top of that, this guy was like a short, bald version of Jiraya, someone Naruto enjoyed seeing suffer.

With that in mind he gained a sinister look of his own turning to Renka, "Renka if you make the call, I'll spring for the travel arrangements." Kensei went from pale to absolute white as he looked between the two, coming to a freighting realization.

"_Its almost like this boy is a male version of Renka. A little bit more serious and composed mind you but the similarities are almost impeccable. You know, if it weren't for the current situation I'd probably be happy that my daughter somehow managed to find someone she so easily clicks with. Wait that's it, all I have to do is…"_

"HEY What's all the racket out there?"

The four individual currently in the middle of a battle to decide the future existence of the great Kensei Ma, suddenly found their little war interrupted by the loud, bellowing and always drunk voice of Shio Sakaki, followed in close pursuit by the other masters of Ryozanpaku.

At the sight Kensei quickly got to his feet to avoid embarrassing himself while Renka merely offering the group a smile to mask her early intentions. However, Naruto felt himself go from uneasy to flat out paranoid. _"Dammit, this is not good. Now I'm surrounded by Shirahama's masters, if I so much as take one step out of line I'll be screwed."_ Despite no longer having his chakra, the blonde could easily sense the immense power coming from each of the master level fighters. Some could argue that the people Naruto had faced in the past were much stronger, though that only applied to chakra skill. If they were going by raw physical skill, then his enemies would have been screwed against these people.

Doing his best the blonde attempted to calm himself and remain scarce as masters looked over Renka with an interesting eye while the girl introduced herself.

With a simple smile she bowed to the masters in a polite fashion, "Hello sorry for the interruption, my names Renka Ma, I'm Kensei's daughter. Thank you for looking after my father all this time." Sakaki quickly found himself laughing as he looked over Renka, finding it hard to believe the pervert could actually have kids at all. Akisame didn't seem too surprised, while Appachai and Shigure didn't seem too interested. Hayato of course being the dojo leader approached the girl with his normal happy look while stroking his beard.

"Well, its an honor to have you hear. Not often that we get to meet Kensei's family." Said master was currently sulking at the Elder's obvious implication of his attempts to avoid his family. Though it didn't take too long for the gazing eyes of the masters to land on the blonde standing not too far away.

The elder of course smiled at him too in a friendly manner, "Oh, and who may I ask is this the young man with you is." The eyes of the masters all fell on Naruto, who felt as if a massive weight had been placed on his shoulders. He actually gulped slightly at their presence but kept his uneasiness concealed.

Of course Renka, though she couldn't see her friends obvious uneasiness decided to take some of the attention away from him, "Sorry about that, this is my friend Naruto. He works with me a Gekirin and I kind of dragged him along on this little trip." The girl lightly rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment at having to admit she forced her friend to come along.

The masters took her words in stride as Hayato approached Naruto, whose heart quickly felt as if it were being clenched in a vice. The man standing before him was simply huge, easily seven feet tall, just slightly taller than his own master Sol. Though his face was joyous and peaceful, Naruto could tell just by looking at him that this man could destroy him with no effort. It made standing in the mans mere prescience difficult.

"There's no need to be so uptight young man."

The blonde's blue eyes widened and looked up to the face of the man towering over him, offering him a gentle, grandfather smile, "I may seem a bit intimidating but I can assure you I don't mean you any harm. I'd just like to personally welcome both you and Renka to Ryozanpaku." It didn't take long before Akisame quickly had made his way over to the teen as well. Looking at him with a calculating gaze.

"I must say, Kenichi spoke rather highly of you, how you saved both himself and Renka from Kensei's brother." The blonde shivered slightly trying his best to stay calm and maintain himself, offered the Jujitsu master a simple courteous look, "I appreciate the praise, but I didn't do anything too great. After all Sougetsu did knock me straight through a wall."

The blonde felt his tension increase at the feel of Hayato's massive palm on his shoulder, or rather his hand smothering his shoulder considering he could fit the whole damn thing in his palm. Said master merely offered him a kind look, "You mustn't look down upon your own abilities, fighting against any master would be difficult to merely escape from alive. Besides you did it to protect those important to you, a noble trait to be found in anyone."

Naruto actually felt his blue eyes widen slightly, and for the briefest moment he could swear he saw the Third Hokage standing in the Hayato's place, offering him that same grandfatherly smile that had managed to help bring him out of some of the darkest moments in his life. This brief flashback almost brought a tear to his eye.

Hayato could see all the emotions flowing through the boy's eyes and it made his gaze harden, if only for a moment. _"Its just as Kensei described him. Eyes like those of one who has seen much in his young life, far more than anyone his age should ever be forced to see. So many emotions ripping through his eyes, like a violent storm howling in rage. What story do you hide behind those eyes of yours my boy?"_

The old master attempted to pry further into the boys mind when a sound of a ladle and frying pan clashing together got the attention of all those present. Naruto was shaken from his thoughts and his focus brought to someone who made his eyes harden.

His for lack of a better word, main obstacle Miu Furinji still clad in her purple leotard though now with a yellow apron with orange spots draped over her body. Her face, held a very light hearted and happy gaze, completely different from any he'd seen on her in the past.

Her voice matched her more lighthearted demeanor, very chipper, "Hey everyone, dinner's almost…?"

The girl finally managed to pay notice to the two additional individuals whom she'd never seen before, though quickly adopting a very welcoming tone, "Oh hello there, I didn't know we'd be having guests over. I'm Miu, nice to meet you both."

Kenichi of course being the polite and sanest of those present at the moment introduced the two properly, "Miu these are some friends of mine I made a while back. That's Renka, Kensei's daughter." He pointed to Renka who offered her a slight wave and then his hand shifted to Naruto, "And that's her friend and coworker Naru…" The brown haired boy stopped mid sentence as in mere seconds the Blonde object of his affections had the other blonde wrapped in a very tight hug, tracing over his whisker markers while staring at them with massive doe eyes.

Naruto wasn't doing much better himself, his face currently red at the girls close proximity, though also having a hard time keeping himself from attacking the girl on reflex do in part to their prior clashes with each other. He attempted to speak to the currently ecstatic girl however, it was obvious she was in dream land.

"OH! Those marks on your face make you look like a little kitty cat. They're soooooo, Cute." The masters all sweat dropped at Miu's reaction towards the boys face marks, though Sakaki was chuckling at the boy's predicament. Appachai on the other hand was looking at Naruto as well with a similar look to Miu's, "Apa, Miu is right he does look like Kitty. I want to try." He quickly reached out his hand and made of move to pet the blondes face, causing Kenichi of all people to panic, knowing exactly what the Muay Thai masters hands could do to someone's face.

Thankfully for Naruto Akisame managed to keep the Muay Thai death god from advancing. Though he wasn't able to prevent Miu from in her cat obsessed mode from scratching against Naruto's whiskers like one would a cat, causing him to purr in response.

The girl let out a massive scream of happiness and continued the onslaught of cuddling.

Of all those present however, Kensei currently found himself shaking a little with a nervous twitch as his and not long after Kenichi's eyes drifted to a growing source of murderous intent. Said source was a rather PO'd Renka, currently glaring at Miu cuddling Naruto like a little kitty.

Kensei actually felt himself gulp in freight at the girls look, "_Oh this isn't good, It's bad enough Renka is obvious interested in this boy but now Miu has to pull something like this. When Renka has her sight set on something she can become very competitive, especially with romance. I just hope she doesn't take things too far, like last time."_

With a look of murderous jealousy Renka slowly contemplated her course of action and retaliation, musing over her anger towards the girl, "_That Blonde, Balloon Chested Bimbo. Who said she could cuddle Naruto like that or touch his whisker marks like that. I haven't even gotten to do that yet_." Her gaze quickly shifted to that of a squealing little girl as she recalled something, "_But now I know that Naruto purrs if you scratch his cute whisker marks, ohhhh I have try that_."

At that point however, she quickly shook herself free of such thoughts for another time returning to her thoughts one of jealous anger and revenge before adopting a menacing smirk, "_Alright, bimbo you think you can move in on my man and think I won't retaliate. Well lets see how you like it when I do it to you."_ Her eyes slowly drifted to Kenichi, now apologizing to Naruto profusely after Miu had finally let go of him. Her evil smirk growing larger as she thought of her plan. Kensei merely sighed at the sight, looking at the two unsuspecting males with sorrow.

"_Alas to be young and in love. All the joys and pains that come with it. Be prepared Naruto, though its fairly obvious, at least to me that you and Renka would be good for each other, lets see how well you can handle all the baggage that comes with her_."

(Inside Ryozanpaku, Dinner table)

Kensei now found himself sighing considerably at how things were currently progressing with dinner. Needless to say it had gone from a little awkward to flat out war. The main participants in said war were…

"Here Kenichi, you can have some of my food, I'll even feed it too you."

"Naruto, could I please pet your whiskers again, Please?"

Yes said sounds of affection would normally mean that both pairs of teens had seemingly made serious progress in their romantic strides. There was just one problem: SAID GROUPS OR RATHER GIRLS WERE TRYING TO WOO THE OTHER GIRLS GUY.

After the little petting incident that took place not too long ago, Renka had become extremely jealous at Miu's incredibly close proximity to Naruto and as a form of retaliation/revenge said girl was now doing everything in her power to _get close _to Kenichi in order to piss the blonde off. As expected her plan did manage to irritate the blonde girl, who quickly returned the favor by increasing her efforts to get close to Naruto. It wasn't long before it became a contest to see which girl could piss the other off the most and didn't show any signs of stopping.

Despite the tension being built by the girls, the masters for the most part ignored the little spat with the exception of Kensei, paying close attention to Renka and Naruto. Finding himself somewhat uneasy though not in a frightened sense more of a mildly annoyed sense, "_I really hope Miu tells Renka she doesn't have any interest in Naruto and Naruto starts to see my daughter the same way obviously does him. If she manages to get a boyfriend, then she'll finally leave me alone and more importantly not call her mother."_

With another quiver of freight at the prospective thought of his wife coming to Japan Kensei looked on at the battle between the two girls. Miu was currently scratching Naruto's whiskers, and it was pretty easy to see he was uncomfortable, "Um Miu, not to sound rude or anything but do you think you could stop touching my face please. It feels really weird, especially considering you and I just met."

Renka actually perked up at the idea and smirked, though Miu quickly caught sight of the action and moved in by actually rubbing her cheek against the lines on the blue eyed blondes now red face.

"Oooh, but Naruto they're so soft and cute looking, I can't help but brush against them." She rubbed against his face with greater vigor and to add to the tension actually positioned herself so her large breasts actually pressed against his arm. The feel of which caused his face to go almost supernova.

"_GAHHHH, Holy Crap, what the hell is with the girls in this city. They've all got huge boobs, I mean this girls are practically the same size as Renka's… Not quite as soft though. WAIT where did that come from?"_

(CRACK)

Miu felt her grin grow while Naruto felt sweat drip down his neck as his eyes slowly drifted to an increasingly angry Renka, barely managing to keep a pleasant smile on her face while her chopsticks were currently broken in her hand. The muscles of her lips and cheeks were actually shaking at how much force she was exerting to keep it in place.

Miu of course made it a point to take advantage of the situation looking at the girl slyly, "Oh Renka, what's the matter are you feeling a little frustrated? If there's something the matter feel free to tell me so I can help."

With another smirk Renka's grip tightened even further as her mind was now a sea of violent images of her beating the living crap out of Miu, _"OH you can help me alright… BY TAKING YOUR GRUBBY HANDS AND OVER SIZED KNOCKERS OFF NARUTO!"_

It took a great deal of effort from the blue haired girl to keep from lunging over and strangling Miu but somehow Renka managed to keep calm. With a breath she slowly turned to Kenichi trying his best to remain inconspicuous.

With a slight grin she moved closer to Kenichi and lightly tapped him on the shoulder, while speaking in seemingly innocent voice, "Kenichi, do you think you could possibly lend me your chopsticks since I broken mine?" The Brown haired disciple lightly turned to his Kenpo master for a way out of this time bomb situation, only to get the left side of his master's head.

"_Thanks a lot Master."_

Lightly griping his chopsticks he slowly handing them to Renka offering a hesitant grin, "Sure Renka, here you go." The girl took them quickly from his hands, though with a sly grin she quickly shifted her wrist slightly to knock the chopsticks to the floor.

With a look of mock embarrassment Renka looked to Kenichi and then the downed utensils, "Oh, sorry about that Kenichi. I can be such a klutz sometimes, here I'll get them."

The girl quickly leaned forward to pick up the wooden utensils and at first it seemed perfectly fine. That is until Kenichi looked a little closer and quickly brought his hands to his noise to prevent blood from flying out as he now had a clear view of Renka's breasts from the gap at the top of her dress. He quickly tightened his grip as Renka shifted from side to side, causing her already magnetic breasts to shift and bob from side to side, adding to their allure.

Renka all the while was laughing in her mind as her attempt to distract Kenichi was working perfectly, _"Take that Blondie."_

(Grip…CRACK!)

Kenichi was quickly brought out of dreamland by the sound of cracking wood. He slowly shivered as he felt that temperature of the room drop several degrees before slowly turning to Miu, no longer cuddling Naruto's face and instead staring off in Renka's direction. Her eyes now pupil less and white, in a somewhat scary comic fashion while her hand was clamped firmly on the table, several cracks forming.

Renka however, now properly seated upwards took it as a direct challenge and responded with a glare of her own. It was only a matter of seconds before people could literally see sparks coming out of their eyes.

Kensei was now starting to really panic as he watched his daughter and Miu look ready to strangle each other. That is until he took note of some off about Naruto, who was looking at Kenichi with a somewhat violent glare, his hands clenched rather tightly almost to the point of shaking.

The sight of this actually brought Kensei out of his fear and actually smiling, _"Well well, looks like Miu isn't the only one not too keen on having Kenichi looking down Renka's shirt. This could actually work out in my favor Hehehe…. Though that look in his eyes, its familiar somehow, strange."_

Kensei wasn't the only one picking up on the boys gaze, both Akisame and Sakaki felt themselves stricken with a case of déjà vu. Shigure however, looked upon the boys facial expression from a different angle.

"_His eyes say much, they've witnessed many deaths and much pain in the past. He's no ordinary teen, he could be a threat." _The weapon mistress actually reached below the table and pulled a set of kunai knifes from her belt. She prepared to act when her eyes caught sight of Akisame. His gaze quickly told the young weapon user to halt her action, given the other people present and not wishing to cause a fuss.

Attention soon became refixed on the girls still glaring at each other rather fiercely. Naruto had by now dropped his harsh glare and had taken the time to gaze at those around the room. _"Man, I feel like I'm walking on pins and needles around these people. If I make even one step out of line it'll blow my cover, these guys may act stupid and goofy but I know what they are capable of."_

"**If you wanted to remain out of their line of sight then you probably shouldn't have glared at your enemy."**

The blondes eyes quickly widened at the familiar bellowing voice he hadn't heard in a while. _"Fox, where the heck have you been all this time, I haven't heard from you since the incident at Gekirin."_

"**Don't blame me, its hard to communicate with you because of this blasted seal. I've been trying to find someway around it."**

At that remark Naruto felt his pulse increase at the prospect of perhaps being able to used his chakra again, _"I thought you said the seal was unbreakable_."

"**That's what everyone said about the seal the Fourth put on me the first time and we already proved that wrong."**

Naruto actually found himself getting more hopeful by the second however, the foxes next words dashed that hope. **"Don't get too excited kit, I said trying not succeeding. This seal is strong and I can't seem to find any weak point around it."**

Ex-ninja found himself mentally slouching his shoulders in defeat, _"Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Even though I haven't really needed my chakra up to this point, I feel empty without it almost. Hell I'd be happy if I had enough chakra just to make a clone or transform."_

There was a brief pause between the mental conversation between the demon and ninja before he spoke again, **"Listen brat, I'm not crazy about it either and stop complaining so much about it, it doesn't suite you. I'll keep trying to find away around the seal, who knows you might not be able to use all your chakra but maybe at least some of it or mine."**

Naruto's ears perked at the idea and the thought of having his chakra actually brought a smile to his face, _"Guess having some hope is better than none. Thanks fox."_

"**Don't get friendly with me boy. We're not friends in any regard. Anyway you should be focusing on other things, like avoiding drawing attention to yourself just because your mate is flirting with your enemy."**

Naruto's face suddenly exploded red at the implication, reminding himself of his little mishap at Gekirin not to long ago. _"DAMMIT FOX, Renka's not my mate, she's just a very close friend of mine."_

The blondes inner demon scoffed, **"Just a close friend my nine tailed ass. You really think I buy into that BS. Lie to yourself all you want Kit, however, I've been watching everything you've done up to this point and I can tell you have strong feelings for that girl whether you want to admit it or not."**

The Blonde geared up to make a retort but think back he suddenly realized that to an extent the fox was right. His eyes slowly drifted to Renka, though she was still glaring at Miu, the blonde felt his face heat up a little. His mind quietly drifted to a number of images of their past interactions. Unlike the members of Ragnarock who the blonde may have trusted to an extent, he always felt like he had to hide a good chunk of himself from them, having to hide his face behind a mask as if to hide his true self.

With Renka however, he didn't need to do that. At first he may have been a bit hesitant, as time past the blonde slowly began to actually feel like his old self and even shared sides of himself with her he'd never shown his comrades in Ragnarock. Even more so Renka genuinely cared about him and he cared about her, far more than he did any of his other friends. It made the blonde question

"_What is Renka too me? I mean she's a really good friend and I care about her a lot but, Is she just my close friend or maybe…"_

Naruto could suddenly feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise up as he felt a familiar hand brush against his cheek causing him to tighten up and his eyes to quickly shift to the source, his hand ready to strike.

However, he loosened up when he saw it was Miu looking at him somewhat curious of his behavior, "Everything okay Naru….?"

She was quickly silenced when Renka shoved her out of the way and got close to the blondes face before smacking him upside the head. Causing the originally stoic and panic blonde to yelp in pain, those watching flinching/snickering at his agony.

The blonde however, held his head while looking at Renka with an agitated look, "Okay, seriously Renka what is it with you and hitting me upside the head. Do you secretly enjoy hurting me or something?" Renka merely shook her head at his response, "Well sorry Naruto but I find that when you go into one of you little mind trips, hitting you is the best way to wake you up."

Kensei found himself chuckling some more at the girls response before throwing in his own two cents, "Better get used to it my boy, Renka's mother did the exact same thing to me every time I spaced out during dates. You'll get used to it."

Naruto and Renka both suddenly ignited in the face at the crack, true Kensei could obviously tell there was more to Naruto than he led on, that didn't mean he still didn't feel the boy wasn't a right fit for his daughter. Thus decided it was his fatherly duty to help him steer the boy on the right path, even if it meant embarrassing him and his daughter to do so.

After another minute or two of silence Akisame slowly raised himself up, "Well I believe that's enough fun for now. Kenichi why don't you show Renka and Naruto around while we clean up?" Kenichi, thankful that little war between Renka and Miu was put on hold nodded. Both Renka and Naruto slowly followed, though Naruto took a brief glance at the masters. True his mind may have been focused on other matters, that didn't mean he'd forgotten where he was or who he was surrounded by.

The masters merely offered him a casual wave, which he took as a gesture to leave. Miu paused for a moment, taking in the fact the person she'd been having a silent war with was gone before taking note of the current situation, "Guess I'd better start cleaning up."

The blonde with a sigh quickly gathered up the plates and left the room leaving the masters alone and silent for a moment.

"I take it you all picked up on it as well?" Akisame spoke rather calmly, as all the other masters had now adopted more serious looks, even Apachai. Kensei however, didn't look nearly as for lack of a better word on edge as the others.

"I had my suspicions after seeing how well he managed to handle Sougetsu. Even if he didn't manage to hurt him in the end, no person could do that kind of damage without serious training. Though I never would have suspected him of being our disciples newest enemy"

Shigure's eyes slowly shifted upwards, able to easily determine the teen's current location. Her hand slowly reached into her shirt, "So should we.." A pair of kunai knives and shuriken were slowly pulled out as the weapon mistresses face was deadly serious as she paused mid sentence before continuing, "Deal with him?"

Of the remaining Masters, Apachai and Sakaki both looked eager to act while Akisame and Kensei seemed content with leaving things as they were. Of course all the masters were silenced when the Elder raised his own hand to get their attention.

"Now, lets not do anything too rash here. After all the boy hasn't really done anything to merit harsh treatment at this point." True the Elder was slightly peeved about what happened to Miu, he wasn't the type of person to go crazy on some teenager just cause he knocked his granddaughter around. After all even the Elder's weakest would be considered overkill.

The other masters seemed content with the Elder's response though Akisame still seemed interested in the boy, "Even if we can't necessarily attack him, that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep an eye on him. After all there is far more to that boy then meets the eye."

Hayato actually felt himself tense up slightly at the notion. Though all the masters knew some of the blondes secrets, there was currently one only the Elder knew. A secret he intended to reveal very soon to a certain ex ninja.

(Time Change Night)

"Ah what a pleasant night, perfect time for tea."

Hayato was currently seated out on the porch of the Dojo, simply sipping tea and enjoying the night air. He slowly brought the cup up to his lips with the steam from the cup under his nose.

"You know, if you want to speak with me my dear boy you just have to ask."

The wise Elder's eyes drifted off into the darkness of the dojo to reveal Naruto looking at him with an uneasy expression, though it was pretty obvious he was serious about something.

Of course his somewhat harsh look didn't faze the Invincible Elder in the slightest as he once again sipped his tea quietly. After about a minute he slowly placed the tea on a coaster nearby his eyes still closed, "Drinking tea during the night can be so refreshing. You should consider trying it, might ease up the tension you've been feeling since you got here, Naruto." After a moment his eyes opened revealing a more serious gaze as he spoke with in an equally humorless tone, "Or would you prefer I call you Fenrir?"

The Blonde body tensed at the causing the Elder to drop his serious visage almost instantly with a chuckle. With a somewhat rough snort the blonde quickly appeared in front of the Elder not far away. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you figured it out. What I'm wondering is why you or the others have pulled anything. I figured you would have wanted nothing more than to get a crack at me after what I did to your disciple and granddaughter."

Hayato paused briefly, allowing the wind to blow through him, Naruto actually felt his pulse start to race out of fear of this powerful man not even reacting. After a moment the Elder looked Naruto dead in the eye and Naruto actually jumped back a little.

He quickly looked back to see the Elder smiling at him and chuckling in a mirthful laugh, "HAHA, no need to get so jumpy my boy, I'm not going to hurt you or anything."

Naruto seemed confused at his response and aimed to retort but Hayato beat him to the punch, "I admit I was a bit angry at what happened to Miu and Kenchi. However, I also realize that I can't protect Miu from everything in this world nor can she continue this path without being harmed, the same with Kenichi. If I were to come to their aide and fight all their battles for them, then they'd never grow as martial artists and instead become reliant on me."

His tone was wise, containing obvious years of experience and wisdom. It actually reminded Naruto a lot of how Sol talked when he was serious. Kinda of actually made the blond miss the eccentric Capoeria Master.

"Though…"

Naruto's eyes quickly widened as apparently Hayato wasn't done talking, _"I don't get it, what else could he have to say?"_

Hayato's tone had shifted from wise to serious again though he had an odd smirk on his face, "I had another reason for not trying to attack you." The old Elder took a long sip of his tea, quickly finishing it off before placing it back and looking at Naruto with a serious face.

"I've been meaning to ask you, hows Sol doing these days?"

**(Ninth Fist End)**

That's right folks, I'm ending it on a cliffhanger. Don't like it well too bad, cause I enjoy it. Anyway so yeah turns out Hayato knows Sol, in a big way that will be revealed in the future. Also a bit more romantic development, I know some parts are a little cliché but cut me a break I'm not perfect at this thing so ease up on any bashing. Note that this is kind of a two part chapter with Naruto at Ryozanpaku, basically encompassing the Epsiode of the series where Renka shows up. Felt it would be better to divide it into two chapters rather than one long one. Though there will be good things to come and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter so far. Expect more in the future. Also check out my other stories including my new comedy story **When Tobi Watches TV. **For those of you who've read **When Sasori Gets Bored** well heres the sequel you've been asking for. Check it out.

_Things to Address, you know the drill stuff I know you'll ask about and I have to explain._

_**Hermit not Leaving Ragnarock: **__Okay for those of you who've watched the series up to this point you know Hermit leaves the group after the fight with Kenichi. Here however, I felt it would be better if he stuck around for a bit cause well one of the main reasons he left was cause he didn't have any real reason to stay. However, with Naruto he feels he at least has an ally he can confide in and also realizes that if he leaves now it'll be more trouble for the kid. _

_**Naruto Living at Gekirin:**__ Simple reason I thought it would be a good time to do this and well what better development then have the two live together right. Beyond that Naruto left Hermit's place cause he knows Loki may try to pull something and it would probably be better if Naruto lived some place else that Loki doesn't know about. Believe Me Naruto is actually very skilled at being Stealthy and has kept his life at Gekirin secret from everyone. Also Loki doesn't strike me as the type of person to spy on the other fists, mostly because he wouldn't want to waste his spy network. Plus he's on thin ice with Odin so yeah not a good time to pull anything._

_**The Date Incident: **__Okay, I know Naruto's smarter in this fic but come on, if a girl walked up to you and said something like that well, what would you think. After all it seems kind of likely plus I figured it would be a good joke. Is it a perfect Joke no, but I felt it would be a good element to throw in._

_**Masters figuring Naruto out: **__I don't think I have to explain this cause really would you expect anything less. I mean these guys may suck at a lot of things but Sensing hostile threats or being able to pick up on things like a persons eyes and the intent they hold well you get the idea. Naruto may be a good ninja but even he Kaksshi or the Hokage couldn't keep a secret from these people, plain and simple. _

_**Elder's Relation to Sol: **__You'll have to wait for that one_

_**The Fox Appearing and the Seal: **__Okay first off, I felt adding the fox would be good since he hasn't been around. The main reason for that is the seal on him makes it hard for the fox to directly talk with him, only appear occasionally, kind of like having a lousy cell phone reception. As for the seal, well people have been bugging me constantly of whether or not Naruto will get his chakra back. As it stands I don't know, might happen, might not I'm not sure. However, I added this so people know it's a possibility and give some fans some hope. Not saying it will happen just saying it might._

_**The Romance:**__ Okay, if anyone has any sort of problem with any of the romance in this story all I can say is I HAVE NO EXPERIECNE AT THIS STUFF. Sorry but I want to make it clear this is the first Romance story I have written and it's a little tricky. I can't promise it will be a perfect romance between the two and there may be some lame moments in the story. All I can promise is I will try my best to give you a good story. That's all I can do. _

Okay, now before I go

**- Omake – **

**Title**: Off the List

Ukita, Takeda and the others stared down at Loki, currently hiding his face in embarrassment at having his goggles stolen.

Miu looked at the blue haired fist in confusion, "I don't get why Loki's covering his face, he's actually pretty good looking from what I can tell."

Ukita frowned at that notion though Takeda quickly entered the fray, "Yeah, actually Loki on the list of the Top Five most attractive guys in Ragnarock."

Ukita smirked at the mention of the infamous list the girls in Ragnarock made, "Yeah I'm on the list along with Takeda and Hermit."

"Actually Ukita there's something you should know."

The tall sunglasses wearing Judo user looked down to find Number Twenty standing not far away.

She quickly pulled out a laptop and opened the screen so Ukita could get a good look at it. After about a minute of staring he wordlessly walked over to a nearby tree and started sulking.

Takeda looked at his friend curiously, "Yo Ukita what's the problem man."

The Judo user pointed towards Number 20's computer who quickly started explaining, "Sorry but we've been meaning to tell you guys that Ukita lost his spot on the list after Fenrir joined."

Ukita's sulking increased tenfold while Takeda looked surprised before turning his attention to the mask covered fist, "How can you even tell what he looks like. You can't even see his face?"

Number Twenty quickly heated up at the mention, "What can we say, we like the mysterious type."

After that moment, Ukita's selfesteem took a huge nosedive which wouldn't recover until he eventually got a girlfriend. Of course this was after he tried to look mysterious by wearing a sky mask to school and then getting arrested for being mistaken for a burglar.

-End-

Well that's all I have for today. So check out my other stories and look forward to more updates in the future. Till Next Time, Agurra out.


	13. Chapter 13

_Yo everybody, Yes its finally here. The chapter you've been begging for has finally arrived, yes its taken a long time and for that __**I am deeply Sorry**__, things have made it hard for me to get around to this but I managed to get to it in the end. Again I apologize for the long wait but I wanted to get the first chapters for my new stories __**Shinobi of the Patch**__ and __**Demon of Deadmen**__ out since I wanted to add some new stories to my profile which I hadn't done in a long time. However, that didn't mean I'd forgotten about __**Ninth Fist**__ which is my highest rated story so far and I left you on a serious cliffhanger. So now you'll finally see the revelation between Hayato and Sol as well as a slight continued development between Naruto and Renka. Be prepared as things are gonna pick up in a big way from here, so enjoy.  
_  
**Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness….. You know what screw it, you guys know I don't own either series and so do the guys who actually do so It's not like they can sue me. Hell if they could Fanfiction wouldn't exist so to hell with it. Here's the story.**

**-Ninth Fist Start-**

Everything had suddenly gone eerily quiet as Naruto stood frozen before the massive master of masters who not but a moment ago, revealed he had some form of association with the blonde's eccentric, but powerful Capoeria Master. Of course most would figure given both individuals status's as masters would mean that the probability of them running into each other was possible. True, but given laws of probability and population of the planet, the odds two particular people would meet and have the added luck of one of them running into another person said individual knew personally were beyond staggering.

Of course Hayato didn't see it that way as the big reveal barely registered as a serious topic, given how he presented it without much hesitation or worry. Though he did wait till night to reveal his knowledge so that left the blonde uneasy.

Naturally, Naruto reminded quiet for a moment before slowly easing out the tension he was feeling and spoke as calmly as he could, "To answer your question last I saw of him he was happy as hell. In fact last image I caught of him, the guy was dancing atop his boat towards the sunset."

Even though he had plenty of questions concerning the relation between the aged master and his own master, he still felt obligated to respond to his earlier question.

Curiously Hayato let out a series of chuckles at the response, his body actually shaking slightly yet his tea never spilling a single drop.

"Hehe, yes that sounds like Sol alright. Ah it's nice to see even after ten years he hasn't changed that much over the years. Well except for the fact he took on a disciple all of a sudden. I must say my boy, you should consider yourself to be extremely fortunate. Sol actually once swore to me he'd never take on a disciple in his life. He must have seen something special in you to break that vow." He calmly wiped away a mirthful tear from his left eye before taking another sip of his tea, calmly enjoying the breeze before setting the cup down.

His eyes slowly shifted towards Naruto whose body again grew tense, yet Hayato quickly raised his hand in a calming motion.

"Now now my boy, no need to be afraid. I imagine you're curious as to how I know your master and just begging to ask me. So why don't you make yourself comfortable at least. I can assure you that I'm more than happy to share the tale, though it is a bit on the long side."

Eager to learn about his master's history with the massive, blonde old man, Naruto calmly walked over to him before taking a seat just a few feet away from the Elder. Again, still feeling quite uncomfortable being around said individual, especially given said man's shadow was so big it actually eclipsed the light of the moon from the fellow blonde.

Yet he remained calm, adjusted his posture so he was seated upright and looking into Hayato's eyes with confidence.

"Okay lets here it!"

The elder slowly put his cup down next to him before stroking his beard, his eyes showing his mind was currently in a reminiscent gaze.

"It happened about ten years ago, Miu and myself were traveling the world. I'd done so to expose her to the many martial arts of the world. At that point we were in Brazil so I could show her the ways of Capoeria. He and I encountered each other in a small fishing village in the Brazilian Jungle."

He actually began to chuckle slightly as he continued to stroke his beard while recalling the instance.

"I must admit when I first encountered Sol he was quite the interesting character and not exactly fond of the idea of fighting anyone at the time. He did a good job of hiding himself too. Actually had to spend three days combing through the jungle before I found him."

As Naruto sat, he found himself somewhat confused at the talk of his master's actions. In truth, Sol wasn't a hostile fighter or an arrogant man who'd be so eager to boast his skills that he'd get into fights with every random stranger he met. That being said, he also wasn't a coward by any possible means, though that might have been because he was simply so crazy that he'd simply laugh at fear.

Hayato picked up on this by the boy's disbelieving face and crossed arms.

"I take it you have some kind of problem with my story?"

Naruto just raised an eyebrow slightly, his fear of the elder master, for the most part, lost now that it was fairly clear he meant no harm so he felt no reason to keep most of his comments free.

"You'll have to forgive me, I just find it hard to believe my master spent three whole days running from you just to avoid a fight."

The blonde ex-shinobi then sat silently, awaiting a response. He'd expect some kind of serious shift in personality from the old master as he explained the exact details of the encounter or some serious explanation behind his master's actions. What he didn't expect was for the old man to actually burst out laughing. The sheer shock of the moment actually caused the seated blonde to fall backwards from the sheer amount of force exceeded from the massive mans lungs.

The giant didn't seem to notice however, as he wiped a mirthful tear from his eye.

"Yes, I suppose that does seem like something to question considering Sol and his personality, so I understand your skepticism. Actually if you can believe it, the only reason I had to chase after him for three days was because we were having a race."

Now seated again and mentally questioning whether or not Hayato possibly knew wind style ninjutsu, he quickly felt his mouth hit the floor and a massive sweat drop form at the old man's explanation.

"A race, really?"

The blonde master continued to chuckle at the boy's obvious annoyance at the explanation before adopting a bit more of a serious face.

"Well all kidding aside, even before I first spotted Sol I could almost instantly tell he was a powerful man, one truly worthy of the rank of master. That being said, I might have been a bit over eager to try and fight him. However, Sol quickly fled to the forest with myself giving chase. When I did finally manage to catch him I quickly realized that Sol did so only to ensure we were away from any populated areas. Turns out he was just as eager as I was to fight, just didn't want to get anyone involved who might get hurt or interfere."

Naruto's previous skepticism pretty much vanished as he now actually smirked slightly at his master's true intentions and tactics.

"Should have realized that nutcase had a plan of his own."

"He's quite the noble man, your master, my boy. You should consider yourself very fortunate."

Naruto silently nodded as Hayato continued the story, "After we stopped running, we met at a small clearing in the jungle. We of course, had the usual exchange of banter and such before the fight itself began."

It was here the blonde noticed the old master's eyes gain a far off, nostalgic look, recalling the event with fondness. His tone itself made it fairly apparent how deep an impact said event had on him.

"It was without a doubt the longest and hardest battle I've ever fought in my entire life.

**(Flashback 10 years ago)**

_(Deep breathing)_

"So…Do you think… We should keep going?" Hayato managed to get out with some serious difficulty, flinching in severe pain. Despite maintaining a confident front and his usual smile, it was obvious he was hanging by a thread in terms of stamina.

_His massive frame was bashed and bruised all over, various cuts covered in dirt, and mud adorned his body like tattoos. The normal green robe he wore was all but destroyed, thankfully though enough was left to cover his lower half. Probably the most noticeable marks however, were the massive, likely third degree, angry burn marks that adorned his abdomen, right pectoral muscle and lower back. Each mark was the size of a basketball and still smoking in some areas. This coupled with the fact said master was practically on one knee and gasping slightly for air as if trapped underwater would make any person who knew his reputation drop their jaws all the way to the Earth's core._

Though their focus on his injuries would likely not distract them long from the area around, easily resembling a war torn battlefield straight out of WWIII. Craters of various sizes adorning the ground like scars, countless trees uprooted, broken, some even burned to blackened ash. Massive fissures in the earth that seemed to span for miles could be seren. It was a scene that would make one look upon likely in horror at the destruction, yet a strange sense of peace was felt by the old master as well as his opponent standing not far away, bathing in the brilliant golden light of the sun.

Said individual was of course Sol and he himself looked no better than Hayato, his own body covered in various bruises, his right arm hanging limply at his side. A steady stream of blood flowing just above his right eye and his orange pants seriously damaged. Yet like Hayato, he stood firm, his left leg raised high, currently engulfed in intense heat, the limb eager to inflict another scorching attack. The Capoeria master's teal eyes narrowed slightly, yet his own smile remaining showing that despite his pain he was still having fun.

"Difficult to say, after all we've caused quite a bit of damage don't you think?" Sol lightly scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as his eyes surveyed the damage done as a result of their little bout. "Real shame too, I rather liked this area, now it looks like hell in a hand basket. Hopefully this won't kill the tourist trade, I've got enough people breathing down my neck as it is."

Though his tone was calm and mirthful, he never seemed to let his guard down around the other master, his fiery leg chambered like a high-powered rifle, ready to strike at the slightest hint of an attack.

In the end, the pair stood in that area for several minutes locked in an old fashion Mexican stare down, each second going by for what seemed like hours yet neither individual so much as flinched. The air quickly grew tense as it seemed like their battle would being anew. Both combatants prepared to engage and then…..

They fell flat on their respective asses and laughed like a pair of drunks at sporting event!

Hayato seated himself in a cross-legged position, lightly patting down his still simmering wounds, his eyes never leaving Sol as he chuckled.

_"Glad to see you and I reached the same conclusion, to be perfectly honest I would have hated to destroy this area any further and I'm pretty sure my granddaughter is getting worried about me."_

Sol chuckled as well, though wincing as his right arm waved back and forth like a weakened branch on a tree.

_"Not like I had much choice, I'm pretty sure you broke my right arm. This is going to be a real pain to sit through, that was a real cheap shot you laid on me." He managed to let out a light glare towards the blonde, though it was obvious he held no ill intent behind it._

Hayato's chuckling became full blown laughter as the Capoeria master slightly grunted in frustration at the injury like a child who'd just scraped his knee.

_"Come on don't be such a baby, after all I was merely returning the favor for these burns you gave me." Sol quickly diverted his eyes, attempting to play innocent despite the fact his foot was still obvious smoking from his super heated kicks. Embarrassed, he quickly slammed his heated foot into the ground to cool it off, a rather sad attempt to convey his innocence._

All humor aside, both masters looked upon each other with respect, neither showing a hint of content or hatred towards the other.

Sol eventually managed to get to his feet and held his arm slightly to keep it from waving too much.

_"Have to say, that was quite the fight my friend, been a long time since someone made me work this hard before. We'll have to do it again sometime, to properly decide a winner."_

Hayao lightly nodded at the request, "Yes, for now we can consider this a draw, after all we're both too stubborn to admit defeat and it's been forever since I had a truly worthy adversary." A competitive grin grew on the man's face as his eyes seemed to glow while his battle aura flared.

"I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT CONTEST DANCING SUN GOD. NEXT TIME WE MEET WE'LL HAVE A PROPER VICTOR!"

Sol's face quickly adopted a look of confidence, disregarding his broken arm for a moment, "Oh you can be sure, just be careful till then old man. Hate to have you die on me before the sun can rise again on our battlefield."

In the blink of an eye Sol was gone, leaving Hayato alone in that destroyed field. Slowly getting up himself as he walked away, though not before saying something most people would probably never expect to here him say.

"It's times like this that make me hate getting old."  
  
**(End of Flashback)**

Hayato then had to hold back his laughter at the shell-shocked expression on the blondes face, actually having his jaw drop in pure shock. _"Huh, guess he doesn't know enough about his master to believe such a thing is possible. Then again something about this boy's behavior beyond that of his fighting skills seems off for some reason."  
_  
Naruto however, didn't notice this man's change in thought, too focused on the surprising information. Some might find it hard to understand why Naruto, who'd fought powerful people in the past would find this information so shocking, however, again they achieved that kind of destructive power with jutsu that allowed them to do things that defied imagination. Hayato and Sol however, didn't have these abilities…for the most part and instead were purely physical fighters with no chakra or elemental aid to speak of. Once more, Naruto was fully aware his master was powerful, that was obvious. However, Hayato had this sort of aura about him that made it obvious to the ex ninja he was a walking natural disaster waiting to happen. So the idea that his goofy, pranking and relatively good-natured master could actually tie with this man was pretty mind blowing to say the least.

_"I always suspected Sol-sensei was stronger then he let on, but to think he'd be able to go toe to toe with a guy who could probably knock around an entire army of ninjas without getting a speck of dirt on him. Sheesh just when I thought things in this crazy world couldn't get any weirder."_

Shaking his head clean to ease the growing migraine he was getting, the blonde figured now would be a good time to simply go back to bed. Hayato of course took note of this and smiled as he quickly finished his tea.

"Well my boy, I think it best you get some rest for tomorrow. After all wouldn't want Kenichi or the others to suspect something's off would you?"

Naruto nodded stiffly and he slowly got to his feet and slowly walked towards the steps. He got about halfway before stopping for a moment his demeanor changing.

"You're not gonna tell anyone the truth about me being Fenrir, are you?"

The boy's tone had become hollow and slightly fearful, as if crying out for aid in someway. Hayato of course could immediately tell what or rather who he was referring to. "You mean Renka don't you? Huh you truly care about her don't you?"

Despite the tense air Naruto's face heated up slightly at the notion and did his best not to stutter.

"It's just, Renka's a very close friend and she means a lot to me. I feel terrible about keeping secrets from her, especially that I'm part of the gang that's repeatedly tried to put down your disciple. Yet I know if she found out the truth, she'd probably hate me for eternity."

Hayato could only frown at the boy, the look of despair and loneliness grew on his face showing this wasn't the first time he'd experienced such feelings. He could tell there was something different about this boy, beyond simply being trained by a skilled master, something that went far deeper into his past. Though despite for the time being it was best not to pry, true the boy had cause his granddaughter and disciple some degree of grief, it certainly didn't merit bring up anymore of his demons… for now atleast.

With a kind nod he offered the boy a reassuring grin, "You have my word my boy, I along with the others will keep quiet about this matter for now. Though you'll have to tell her eventually."

Naruto frowned deeply at the idea and slowly sank into the darkness while heading to his room, "Believe me...I know."

Hayato frowned as he released a heavy sigh as he recalled the boy's look of slight desperation.

"That boy, so much sorrow contained within." It was fairly obvious there was more to him then he was letting on, that much was evident both by his skills and demeanor. No normal child that age acted in such a way unless they'd experienced much in their short life.

However, for now Hayato felt it best not to delve any further into the boys past then was necessary. He was still a child and it wasn't really his place to interfere nor dig up any more painful memories then necessary.

The boy would hopefully come around eventually; it was simply something that would take time.

Plus despite his strength and skill Hayato also wasn't keen on incurring the wrath of the boy's master. True Hayato was considered a literal god among masters, but his last battle with the Dancing master was too close to call. So fuck off one of the few people in the world who could challenge him wasn't high on his priority list.

So with another sigh he decided to leave things as they were and headed up to bed, ready to see what interesting events the next day would hold.

**(Scene change, unknown location)**

"Damn it, Fenrir. I can't believe that bastard managed to fuck up my plan. Now thanks to his and Hermit's antics I've got Odin breathing down my ass and likely the Great Sage Fist himself."

Loki was currently pacing around anxiously, his hands normally working with a wire puzzle too busy shaking frantically as he tried to contemplate a plan.

After the fiasco of the kidnapping plot, Odin had more or less kept his all seeing gaze firmly locked on Loki, his trust in the Fourth Fist…What remained was fading fast. Most of the other Fists pretty much took Fenrir and Hermit's example, showing no faith in the trickster and avoiding him like the plague. It more or less put a serious damper on his plans.

"This isn't how things were supposed to work, Fenrir was going to the be my ace in the hole to help me bring Odin down from the inside. Instead that damn wolf's only served to bite me in the ass."

Frowning in frustration, he did the only thing he could and promptly sat himself before his laptop.

"Might as well check out my spy network and see what I can dig up. Perhaps those idiots managed to dig up something useful instead of constantly sending me emails about YouTube videos they want me to see."

His eyes quickly scanned over the various emails and his frown only deepened, "Still nothing on that turncoat Hermit, seriously how hard can it be to find a guy who looks like a godamn male model, I'm surprised he doesn't have his own website with all the fangirls he has."

Pinching the bridge of his nose he changed attention to Fenrir or rather Naruto who despite being the more secretive of the two still had something of a life outside of Ragnarock that Loki had at least tried to dig up on.

"Okay lets see, Crap, Crap, Shit, Junk, Junk, link to Porn site…_Save for later_.. JESUS CHRIST can't these idiots find anything on this guy. What am I paying them for if they can't get any information on one person?!"

After a few more minutes of frantic searching for any possible dirt on the hooded fist the blue haired teen was about to give up when his eyes caught sight of a link on of his spies managed to find.

A smile began to form on his face as he quickly read the link, "**Combat in Chinatown, Local Busboy terrorizes Triads."  
**  
Loki's grin widened considerably as he quickly saw an image taken of a familiar looking spiky haired blonde with blue eyes, standing outside a Chinese restaurant with a blue haired, green eyed Chinese girl currently with her arm wrapped around his shoulder, a smile on both their faces.

In mere seconds Loki began to chuckle uncontrollably as he quickly copied the image and then proceeded to cut Naruto out of the shot leaving only the girl. He then transferred it to an email, addressed to all the shadows he had throughout the city.

As he continued to type away Loki's grin grew sinister as he thought of the mayhem he would soon wreak upon his former comrade.

"So have yourself a little lady friend and managed to get yourself on the wrong side of the triads, eh Fenrir? Tsk, tsk, you really shouldn't get involved with people like that my friend. After all, wouldn't want anything _bad_ to happen would you."

He then quickly pulled out his phone and pressed sped dial before bringing the phone to his ear.

_"Loki, what's up? Did you get that link I sent you."_

The sound of the Fourth fist smacking his face in annoyance resounded over the phone before he began talking, "Shut up and listen to me you idiot. I'm sending you and the others an image of someone I need you to find for me. Once you get her location contact me immediately, got it?"

The henchmen in question listened to his boss with curiosity, the sounds of mouse clicking heard by Loki, _"Okay, boss I got the image…Huh she's quite the looker. Though what's up boss, I thought you had a thing for Number 20?"_

The Fourth fist quickly grew a tick mark at his minions stupidity all the while trying not to crush his cell phone in his hand, "Would you please just shut up and listen. Let's just say this girl has some serious importance in a plan of mine and I need to know where she's gonna be at as soon as possible. Think you can do that for me without making an ass of yourself?"

After a few moments of pausing the minion on the other line responded, _"Sure thing boss, give me a few hours and I'll be able to tell you every place she's been in the last couple of days. Though what are you gonna do boss?"_

The blue haired fist quickly gained a long sinister grin as he quickly searched the net for an online phonebook, "Let's just say, I've got a few calls to make."

**(Scene change, Next Day)**

After some collective hijinks the other day at the pool, Naruto and Renka finally left the Ryozanpaku dojo, mainly at the insistence of Hakubi. Apparently business during the lunch rush had gotten too out of hand and they needed some extra hands.

So the pair finally left the dojo, though not without Renka delivering one last threat to her father, making the almighty master swear to remain in town where his daughter could easily find him. Should he refuse to comply with said request, well let's just say the consequences involved a sped dial call and an immediate flight to Japan for Renka's mom. The short balding man quickly yielded and Renka had left with a satisfied look on her face.

Naruto however, held back for a moment as he felt the eyes of the masters peering into his back.

Though they did say anything it was fairly obvious what they were attempting to say. It was pretty much a collective, _**"We'll be watching you."  
**_  
Both Kenchi and Miu of course were completely unaware of the silent exchange from the masters, though Naruto was able to pass along a silent message to them with a simple facial expression that read, _**"I'll keep that in mind." **_

Giving the two disciples a simple wave, he then quickly caught up to Renka who was tapping her foot slightly in frustration at his slowed pace.

The two then made their way down the sidewalk, the sight of the sun high in the sky greeting them. The air was fairly calm, wind was blowing with a calm breeze. Actually it was a pretty nice day.

"Huh, nice day for a walk."

Renka's eyes ever curious quickly zeroed in on the blonde who'd been attempting to be silent as well as his interaction with the masters had gotten her interested. Truth be told, during the pool incident she'd tried several times to get alone with the blonde. Such methods included spending time in the pool, going down the massive slide together, hell she even tried asking him to put sunscreen on her back. Granted that last one did at least get a pretty funny reaction consistent of a red face and minor nosebleed, it wasn't the solitary, possibly relationship developing moment she was going for. So now that she finally had the blonde to herself, felt like a good time to talk at least in a more casual way.

"So Naruto, I'm a little curious. What'd you think of my dad and his friends? I mean I know you met him and Kenichi that time at Gekirin but well he didn't stick around long enough to leave much of an impression."

The blonde thinking back to the first instance he met Kensei both in the resturant and when he fought against Sougetsu despite both only being for a few minutes gave the blonde enough of an idea of the man's character. In actuality being with him for a few more hours only helped to solidify what he'd thought.

His mind quickly flashed an image of a familiar white haired, pervert who despite being a royal pain in the ass, ended up filling a large hole in Naruto's heart for quite some time. Hell the similarities between the two were pretty big when all was said and done… Actually made the blonde wonder if they were related in someway.

Still imaging the short brown haired kung fu master quiver in fear of his wife's possible wrath reminded him eerily of Jiraya's fear of Tsunade and actually made him laugh somewhat earning a look of surprise from Renka, not used to seeing Naruto laughing.

Renka's surprise only grew, as it wasn't just the laugh that was unusual but also Naruto's eyes and facial expression. Normally he kept a pretty neutral face with the occasional smile here and there, his eyes remaining fairly hardened and at times even a little cold. Granted this was mostly when facing down members of the Triads and he oftened seemed happy, yet Renka could always tell somehow that there was something hidden behind that seemingly impassive visage.

Here however, it was the complete opposite. The blonde's normally hardened facial features softened greatly, his eyes actually filled with a great deal of life she'd almost never seen before. It was a complete flip from his typical personality and strangely Renka felt her heart actually flutter slightly at this glimpse of the boy's different side.

Her moment quickly seized once the blonde stopped laughing, actually wiping a tear from his eye. Renka's face of course still retained a look of surprise to which the blonde quickly picked up on and of course felt it best to provide an explanation.

"Sorry about that Renka, it's just well you dad reminds me a lot of someone I know from back home."

Renka's eyebrows shot up at the revelation, despite knowing Naruto for a fair amount of time, Renka nor anyone at Gekirin had ever been privy to any sort of information about the blondes old home or family. Heck, they didn't even know what country he was from. So this meant that Renka now had a chance to learn possibly some deeper secrets about the blonde that may help her better understand him and maybe even get closer to him.

She pretty much jumped into the first question that popped into her head, "So this guy from your home, I take it he must have been a serious pervert for my dad to remind you of him."

Renka's eyes quickly shot up as she watched Naruto literally laugh out loud at the comment, making it pretty obvious she'd hit the preverbal nail on the head.

The blonde quickly stifled his laughter, actually wiping a tear from his eye as he looked at Renka with a fox smile, "Renka you don't have even the slightest clue how right you are."

Curious at the remark the blue haired girl frowned in curiosity, "Well, you gonna tell me about this guy or are we just gonna keep playing 20 questions?" The blonde's eyes looked on into the distance, focusing in slightly on the sun as his mind flashed back to more enjoyable times.

"His name was Jiraya, he was I guess you could say he was the one who taught me since I was a little kid. He was also my godfather and a self proclaimed Super Pervert!"

The last line was spoken with a little distain, after all kinda of hard to say the words Super pervert out loud without feeling a deep sense of shame. It was made all the more evident as Renka blanched out at deceased Toad Sage's self-proclaimed title.

She ended up actually face palming while imaging vaguely the image of her father and this Jiraya together, going on insane escapades of perversion and depravity. Naruto all the while chuckled at her reaction, finding it somewhat cute seeing someone share his sentiment.

"Yeah, that's about the reaction I had the first time he said that same line to me. Geez, that old perv was a pain in the ass to deal with. Every time we went somewhere he'd always leave me hanging just to chase after some lady he had no shot in hell with."

The ex ninja's face quickly softened recalling the more pleasant memories he'd had with the old Sanin, "Yet even though he might not of have been the best role model or master, he was a still a great man, always willing to do whatever he could to protect those he carried for. That's another way your dad reminds me of him Renka."

At that point Renka actually managed to form a smile of her own, true her father wasn't perfect. Yes he was a flake when it came to his major responsibilities, was way too perverted and acted really immaturely at times. Yet despite that Renka always knew she could count on him when she needed him and that despite appearances, the elderly Ma loved both his wife and children with all his heart and soul, willing to do anything to keep them safe and happy. It was times like that, Renka was reminded why despite her abrasive behavior at times, she still loved and respected her father.

It actually made the girl slowly forget some of the more assholish things he'd done in the past and certainly explained why her mother was able to put up with all the crap he pulled.

Though now that she thought about it, Renka quickly took note of something very crucial about the way the blonde spoke of this Jiraya individual. "_He said he 'was' his godfather. Does that mean something happened to him?" _

Despite her arguably airheaded or hotheaded personality at times, Renka was very intuitive when it came to reading people, came with being a martial artist. As such she'd learn to read people fairly well, which was helpful at times. Thus once she'd put the pieces together about this Jiraya guy a light bulb went off in her head.

Naruto never talked about his past for a good reason. In the entire time she'd known him the blonde had never spoken about his parents or any other family members, not once. Granted most teens aren't crazy to talk about their parents, especially with their friends, but they'd at least mention them from time to time. Then there was the fact he lived alone for the most part, that pretty much meant that his parents were likely dead and thus Jiraya was likely Naruto's only real family for a time. So with him gone…

The blue haired girl stared back at her potential crush with a sad look, the boy unable to see it as he'd managed to get a few steps ahead while she went to muse. Even at a distance though, she could feel that despite his previous joy it only lasted for a fleeting moment and now a more melancholy aura had encompassed him, likely from recalling the moment Jiraya was taken from him.

_"It's no wonder Naruto acts so cold or antisocial most of the time, having to grow up without parents and then have the closest thing to family member taken away from you. That's a burden no one should have to bear."  
_  
The two continued on in silence, Renka contemplating the information she'd just been given, trying to decide the next course of action. However, her thoughts were quickly halted when she found herself colliding with Naruto who'd inexplicitly stopped moving.

Lightly rubbing the sore spot on her forehead she quickly looked up in frustration at the blonde, preparing to rip him out for his sudden halt when she noticed his eyes had quickly grown cold.

"Naruto what's…"

The blonde however, quickly cut her off as he slowly shifted into his combat stance, inadvertently causing Renka to do the same, her eyes quickly scanning the area though quickly noting that Naruto's stance quickly hardened along with his eyes, becoming more ice cold than before.

Confused at his behavior, she was about to make a remark when the sound of footsteps caused her danger senses to shift. Her battle mode quickly established as she turned to the source of the footsteps, however, she quickly found herself dropping out of combat at the sight of a seemingly harmless light blue haired civilian running towards them.

His face displayed a friendly expression as he waved towards the pair or rather Naruto, yet something about him rubbed Renka the wrong way, she could tell he was obvious untrustworthy.

Naruto on the other hand was too busy holding himself back from ripping said individual apart, true he'd ditched the glasses and had his hair slicked back but the blonde could still see individual hidden behind, _"Loki, that son of bitch. What the flying fuck is he doing here?"  
_  
His eyes quickly shifted to Renka who was currently focused on the disguised Loki as he closed the gap between them, "Whatever he's planning to do I can't say anything that'll reveal I'm a member of Ragnarock to Renka. She'd never trust me again if she found out the truth."

Doing his best to recall his master's training on emotion control, the blonde took in a deep breath and silently exhaled, slightly quelling the fiery rage building inside. Just in time as the disguised Loki finally managed to get in close.

He immediately came to stop in front of the pair and grew a massive fake smile as he spoke, "Man my friend we've really got to stop running into each other like this, I've been looking all over town for you."

Loki showed his skillful acting, pronouncing every word and sound with perfectly faked emotion. Despite being one hundred percent fake, only truly skillful individuals like Naruto could pick up on it, Renka regrettably could not, a fact made evident by the confused look she held on her face, though that didn't stop her from speaking to the Fourth fist.

"Naruto, do you know this guy? You didn't tell me you had any friends outside of the guys at Gekirin." She frowned deeper as she looked towards her friend who was doing his best to avoid her gaze, "Anything else you've been hiding I should know about?"

The blonde of course, didn't respond to the question though he had sweat dripping down the back of his neck slightly. Yet inside he was filled with rage as he could literally feel Loki's devious smirk, enjoying every second of the watching the blonde squirm.

Of course it didn't take long for him to jump back into his innocent act and slap that fake grin on his face, "Sorry about that, I'd figured Naruto would've told you about me, but then again he's a bit of the secretive type. I mean here I am looking around for my buddy and end up finding him with a pretty girl practically clinging to his arm."

For some reason Renka actually felt the need to cringe at being called pretty by the blue haired stranger, which only added to her suspicion, but she put it aside as the bluenette extended his hand in a friendly manner.

"Where are my manners, I'm sorry let me start again. My names Yamazaki Takimoto and its an honor to meet you miss…?"

"Renka, Renka Ma and its nice to meet you Yamazaki, glad to finally meet someone who knows Naruto that doesn't want him dead or injured." 'Yamazaki's' smile turned sinister for a moment as he shook the girls hand.

"Oh don't worry about that my dear, we'll get along to that little scenario soon enough, but as my grandfather always said 'When you've got someone by the balls, exploit the hell out of it until he's got nothing left to milk from."

"So Renka, I'm curious as to where you know Naruto from. He's never mentioned you before and I can't even begin to fathom why." Shaking away the uneasiness she was feeling, Renka simply stood there as she spoke.

"Well Naruto and I work in the same restaurant, where it's my job to make sure this idiot doesn't destroy the place on a regular basis."

Despite the tense atmosphere and gravity of the situation Naruto felt his ego deflat somewhat, mainly at the fact Renka just wouldn't let his slight petition for destruction slide.

"Accidently cover her in Egg fu young one time and she never lets it go."

Loki easily maintained his façade, enjoying his comrades torture both verbally and psychologically. Though he still had a mission to complete and decided to cut the chitchat.

"Uh sorry to cut you off there Renka, but I was kind of hoping to talk with Naruto alone for a bit if its okay. It's kind of important, you understand right?"

That really made the girl tense up and her suspicion to run on high, while she trusted Naruto she didn't trust this guy as far as she could throw him and wasn't about to let this slide.

However, she quickly found herself held back as Naruto's voice rang out. "Relax Renka, this won't take too long, I'll be back at Gekirin so you go on ahead while I talk things over with my buddy here."

Renka's eyes widened as she looked to Naruto who managed to give her a small, yet still visibly forced smile that only served to add to her unease. Yet at the same time she could seem him almost pleading for her to leave, like there was something crucial he didn't want her to learn.

Despite her desire to help the boy she'd come to care for, the kung fu girl could only look upon him sadly for a moment before making a forced smile as she slowly walked backwards towards Gekirin.

"Sure Naruto, just make you sure you get back soon or I'll make you clean the whole restaurant with a cotton swab."

With a wave from Naruto she quickly turned her back and ran away, yet for a moment she looked back sadly at the blonde, knowing that there was something dark he was hiding from her and he didn't trust her enough to tell her about it. This feeling of distrust felt like a hole had be made in Renka's heart, only adding to the gloom she felt as she walked away.

Once she was gone Naruto went right into Fenrir mode, his ice cold eyes looking upon Loki with a frost like gaze that could freeze any psycho in place yet Loki merely leered, chuckling at his comrades attempts to intimidate, quickly reaching into his pocket and pulling out a familiar pair of goggles.

His deceitful face looking back on Renka, "I'm sorry to interrupt your lovey dovy time with your girlfriend Fenrir, but I felt it was necessary for us to sit down and have a little chat. Don't you?"

Loki quickly found himself elevated from the ground by the collar of his shirt and slammed against the wall of a nearby alley. Naruto peering into him with pure rage in his eyes.

"After the crap you pulled with Hermit, using Honoka as a shield to lure out Shirahama and going behind my back, give me one good reason not to rip those glasses of and shove then down your throat and out your ass?"

The blue haired fist merely slapped his ally's hand away, placing his hands into his pockets in a slouched over position. His relaxed posture made it evident he wasn't the least bit frightened of the Ninth Fist.

He actually raised his finger in a disapproving gesture towards Naruto. "Now now, Fenrir you really shouldn't be so hostile towards me. After all I'd hate for something bad to happen to you…" His face quickly grew wicked behind his glasses as he took another look back in the direction Renka had left, "Or your pretty little friend?"

That was the straw that broke the camels back, Naruto unleashed a fast and powerful kick aimed straight for Loki's smug face. However, Loki managed to produce a cell phone with his finger on the dial button, "I wouldn't do that if I were you my friend."

Naruto's kick stopped just an inch from imbedding Loki's nose into his skull. His eyes now focused on the cell phone, knowing that whatever Loki was up to, it couldn't have been good.

The karate-using Fist laughed at the fierce fist's pause. "That's better. Now I take it you're probably wondering 'Hey what's on the cell phone Loki, please tell me as I'm too stupid to figure it out.'" Clearly Loki's own ego in terms of his intelligence clearly knew no bounds.

"Well my friend to answer your question, after that little stunt you pulled, ruining my otherwise flawless plan, I decided to do a little digging. Imagine my shock when I see an article in the newspaper of you and your lady friend taking down Mafia members. Some people, including Renka I bet consider you a hero, some a guardian angel sent to protect them from the big mean gangs. Makes me wonder what they'd think if they knew the real you."

In that instance Naruto's heart quickly began to drop like a stone, doing his best to conceal his anxiety while his hands clenched in fury at the implications Loki was making.

Loki of course didn't let up in his implications, slowing circuling his normally ferocious ally as if he were the one in control, practically holding his phone like the key to some great treasure, "That's the trouble with being in a gang, have to keep secrets from everybody. Such a horrible crime to keep such things from your friends don't you think?"

His smirk grew wider as he could see Naruto's body tense up as if he were being constricted by ropes all the while making it more obvious he wanted nothing more than to reach across, rip the phone out of Loki's hand and then smash it over his head.

The Blonde's tension grew as Loki's finger grew closer to the button, his face growing more serious, "Anyway Fenrir, now that I have your undivided attention lets get down to the real reason I asked you down here."

Naruto opened up his ear while containing his killing intent barely muttering out a, "What do you want?"

"Well, since your going to be my little pet from now on I suppose there's no harm in telling you. See Fenrir all my life I've always be part of different groups, using my skills in spying and intelligence gathering to make said group strong. However, I'm the kind of guy who prefers to be the one giving orders as opposed to taking them. Thanks to you and Hermit, Odin's practically got me by the ear, though that's something I intend to fix."

Turning his back to Naruto yet calmly keeping his finger near the button Loki's tone became more exuberant, like a dictator giving a speech. "I've gotten sick and tired of being under Odin's thumb, its time for a change in leadership and the all seeing king to be knocked off his high horse with me taking control." The trickster started to chuckle with glee as spoke of his plans while Naruto could only look on in disgust at the individuals obvious lust for power, reminiscent of a certain four eyed sound ninja.

Turning towards the one he was blackmailing Loki got inches away from his face, "Here's what's going to happen Fenrir. Right now thanks in part to Shirahama's actions the other fists are starting to slowly lose faith in Odin's leadership, however, your actions managed to halt that process significantly. So I'm going to need you to do a few things to fix that problem."

He quickly backed away from him while dangling his phone in front of the blonde, "I'm going to start calling you over the next couple of weeks with instructions for some favors I need you to do for me and you'll follow every detail I give to the letter."

His finger quickly shifted to the send keep, "Failure to meet my requests won't just merit your secret getting blown wide open my friend oh not by a long shot." Grinning from ear to ear he pulled out a small video pad, the picture which Naruto saw caused his eyes to wide drastically.

Loki only smirked as the blonde saw the pad contained a complete security camera like array of different small screens showing different areas both he and Renka visited, including Gekirin. One screen in particular was currently focused on Renka walking down the pathway.

"I had my shadows do a little work tracking your girlfriend's daily walking routine and managed to find all the spots she's at." His finger then drifted to the send key of his phone again, "With a single press of the button I'll send a message to the Chinese Mafia who are just so friendly, as long as you give them the location of a certain person they want dead."

If Naruto wasn't pissed off before he was absolutely furious now, threatening his secret and possibly ruining his friendship with Renka was one thing, but outright threatening her life that was crossing every line. Yet despite his skill there was nothing he could do at the moment, Loki had him.

Oh he wasn't giving up by any means, it was just right now wasn't the time to act. He couldn't just strike Loki down and take the phone, odd are his flunkies were probably ordered to do the same thing if their boss didn't report back after awhile. The Blonde of course chose to say nothing, finding it best to stay quiet, not wishing to escalate things any further.

Loki quickly deduced he had the fierce fist by the neck and smiled at his accomplishment, "Now don't get too bent out of shape Fenrir, as long as you do everything I ask of you for the next few weeks then you have nothing to fear. So do me a favor and smile a little more."

The Fourth fist slowly made his way back to his home, having gotten his point across though not before turning to give his hostile comrade one last look, "I'll be contacting you in the near future with your first task my friend. Once Ragnarock is firmly under my control then I'll let you free and then you can spend all the time you want with that Renka girl."

With a halfhearted wave the blue haired trickster gradually disappeared from view, his grin going full on demonic, "_Now that I've got Fenrir back on my side, pretty soon Odin will need that all seeing gaze of his just to cover his own ass. Heh, oh I've got a feeling things are gonna get really fun soon." _

Once the Fourth fist was completely out of site, Naruto just stood there for a moment his mind fully digesting everything that had just happened. In the next instance in a flash his leg was firmly planted into a lamppost, leaving a massive dent in the pole causing it to quickly give way and the light to crash again the street sending glass everyway.

Naruto of course didn't care much about the property damage instead too focused on the spot Loki just disappeared from. He did his best to regain control of his emotions though still wasn't happy about being blackmailed on two fronts by the Fourth Fist. It was bad enough the guy went behind his back once but this was worse.

His cold blue eyes peered towards Loki's last location before quickly taking note of the progressively setting sun, letting out a huff of mild annoyance and slumping his shoulders in frustration the blonde kicked up a little dirt as he muttered to himself, "Guess I'll have to figure out a way out of this mess while walking back to Gekirin. Can't let her think anything's up, the last thing I need is her snooping around."

So with one last frustrated huff the blonde quickly spun on his heel to face the direction of his original destination before walking back, though his mind was currently being flooded with images of the former shinobi torturing Loki in ways too graphic to be described, though safe to say Loki just made the top of Naruto's hit list and there was no way he was going to take this crap lying down.

"Alright Loki, I tried going easy on you cause I owed you one but you've officially used up the last of your freebies. You can threaten me all you want, I don't care about that, but threaten my friends and that's where the gloves come off."

And then in that single instance of rage for a single moment Naruto's blue eyes flashed a familiar shade of crimson, it was fleeting very fleeting but just enough for a certain fox to take note of it, his mouth smirking in surprise and glee.

"_**Looks like that seal might not be as unbreakable as I originally thought. Better watch your back Loki."**_

**-Ninth Fist End- **

_Ask and you shall receive. Hello and I apologize for the unbelievable amount of time it took to get the chapter out, but my life has been an unending list of suck. Internship, Essays, Online Course, moving to a new house, my life has been just a mess. Still I wasn't gonna give up on this story like I promised, I admit it this chapter isn't my best and a bit more disorganized, not as exciting sorry I'm working to get back into my groove. Anyway hope you guys like the chapter and keep reading my works. _

_**Questions people will ask and I'll answer.**_

**Sol vs Hayato: **So encase it wasn't clear in the chapter yes Hayato and Sol meet each other in the past, Sol actually managed to tie with Hayato. Offically there wasn't any winner and both nearly killed each other yet left on relatively good terms but want to meet again to fight again to decide the winner. Does this make Sol a little overpowered, maybe but I felt it would be best to give the Shadow Fists a fighter who can make even the masters of Ryozanpaku Sweat, sort off. So anyone more on this will develop over time.

**No Pool Scene: **Anyone whose read the manga knows at this point there's supposed to be a pool scene where plenty of craziness ensues. Thing was I tried writing it but couldn't think of a good way to do it, I'm better at combat scenes rather than more normal ones. So sorry about that.

**Loki Blackmailing Naruto-** Okay I know people are gonna complain about this like crazy but keep this in mind, Naruto is a good fighter and a good ninja, Loki on the other hand is a highly skilled spy and network keeper much like Jiraya. Said guy has contacts all over the city, way too many for Naruto knock out or restrain. Also Loki is very clever, far more than Naruto and is very good at using people's secrets/weaknesses against them. So it makes sense that Loki would be able to come up with a plan like this. Plus I'm sort of making Loki out to be a semi villain at this point in the story and want him to do some assholess things.

**Naruto's Gang affiliation weakness- **Yes Naruto keeping his gang life a secret from Renka and Loki using it as a means of blackmail along with threats on her life may seem a little contrived or weak in terms of actual leverage. However, keep in mind Naruto wants to try and keep it a secret from Renka since she likely wouldn't trust him knowing he was a part of a gang. Its not the best reason but its decent.

**Loki's Civilian Name- **Not much to say except I got the idea from a character from another manga that was similar in appearance and fighting style to Loki. Figured it would work out fine and giving him a civilian name seem like something that needed to be done.

_Well that's all I've got for now, will try to update __**Shinobi of the Patch, Demon of Deadman **__and __**Oracion Eight. **__Will try to get these new chapters too you soon. Till then enjoy this story and please try to keep any flaming you have to a minimal or at least keep it constructive. Anyways that's all I have for now, till next time __**Agurra Out. **_


	14. Chapter 14

Hello everyone, Agurra of the Darkness here again with my next installment of my surprisingly popular story **Ninth Fist. **Sorry it's taken me so long to update this but I've had to go through my Senior year in College and had to take the LSATs at the same time. Not something you want to do together _believe_ me when I say that. As such I had little time to write and wanted to first update one of my other projects **Demon of Deadman **first. Also was doing some work with some other writers and stories but that is another matter. This chapter will be a little tricky as given how I stopped last time I'll have to do a little more creative thinking to make said chapter work, plus again just for emphasis I DON'T USUALLY WRITE ROMANCE. Sorry but I feel the need to stress that as this is the first time I've attempted this fully and it's probably not that great but I still think it has some merit, so if it's not perfect don't flame me. How exactly it will all work out I'm not completely sure but You'll have to read to find out.

On a side Note after I finish this chapter I'll try and finish the next chapter of **Shinobi of the Patch.** Truth is I already started the chapter but have been having some writers block so I've been delayed for a time. However, I think once this chapter is done I should be able to finish it for my readers. So look forward to that soon. Also I might throw in a nice little Omake here for laughs since I haven't done it in a while. Anyway hope you guys enjoy the latest installment and now with out further adue lets get the ball rolling.

**Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness doesn't own Naruto or Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple. **

**Naruto: About time you started this up again, We've been sitting on our collective asses waiting for you.**

**Renka: Yeah, how much longer before we actually have some serious romance moments in the story, we're tired of you beating around the bush.**

**Me: F#%K you both, I'll give you said moments when I'm good and ready so shut up and lets move on already.**

**Renka and Naruto: Damn Hold out**

**ME: WHAT?**

**(Silence)**

**Me: Thought so, anyway ladies and gentlemen lets begin**

**-Ninth Fist Start- **

"_Now, now there's no reason to get so uptight Fenrir. Just do a few little errands for me and your little girlfriend won't be harmed and you can keep living you happy little normal life waiting tables. Just wait for me to call you and I'll give you your first assignment. Oh and Fenrir better start moving, don't want to keep Renka waiting do you?"_

(Smash)

That was the sound of a solid block of concrete being reduced to powder by the force of one of Naruto's strong kicks. After the incident with Loki the Blonde ex ninja quickly found himself with some deep-seated rage that he needed to let out. So he quickly gave a call to Renka before heading to an old construction site that had long since been abandoned. Strangely easy to find by the way.

The end result was the blonde quickly venting his rage at his new predicament by using the concrete blocks as target practice for some of his Capoeria kicks. Thanks in part to Sol's insane training his legs had become strong and hard enough to where even the consist repetition of said action didn't even register to him.

The blonde's cold blue eyes carried a look of silent fury, which had managed to slowly be quelled after his bought of random destruction. In truth the action of breaking random objects did make him feel a little better or at the very least keep him from going on a killing spree.

Yet he couldn't help but release a tired and frustrated sigh as he looked up to the sky, his eyes staring at the stars now visible through the night, "Guess I spent more time venting than I realized." With another sigh he found himself rubbing the back of his head in irrational as he knew what this meant, "Great on top of everything else I'm dealing with now Renka's gonna chew me out for being late."

Though at the mention of his female friend he again found himself reminded of Loki's threat against her and the image quickly shifted to Renka being attacked by the mafia on her own. The idea of this image sent a chill down his spine and he did his best to wipe it from his thoughts.

"Damnit, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

His question went unanswered as expected and he simply kicked a lone pebble on the ground before making his way to the exit of the site, his mind trying to form some kind of way out of the situation he found himself in.

"No matter what happens I won't let anything happen to Renka or anyone else I care about. If I have too I may even have to kill Loki." Admittedly said decision didn't sound very hard or difficult to make good on since he'd already killed plenty in the past.

However, all of those people had been power made psychos intent on causing mass destruction and murder throughout the world. Loki was little more than a stuck up prick with a massive ego. As such killing him didn't seem particularly appropriate, also…

Naruto again frowned as his mind flashed back not just to Renka but all of his recently made friends. In truth part of the reason he'd kept his gang life secret was because he was afraid it might lead him to also reveal even more about his history. That is his life as a shinobi and the fact he'd killed already.

Ignoring the fact they'd probably label him as crazy for saying he was a ninja from some world of super powered individuals, it was clear that Renka and her family had a distinct dislike of killing. Hence he knew that if said skeleton ever came out of the closest then Renka and the others would most likely reject him as a murderer, the thought of which hit him harder than any blow.

As such he had to keep from going too far back to his shinobi ways and not under any circumstances kill somebody if he could help it. Yet that still left the matter of how he was going to dig himself out of the current hole he found himself in.

"_There has to be someway to get around Loki's spies, but what I'm I supposed to do. I know I can't just attack him, the second I touch the guy his goons will signal those mafia bastards on Renka."_

Of course the more the blonde thought about this the less he paid attention to his surroundings, hence the reason he quickly failed to notice that he was gradually making his way toward Gekirin and also why he failed to notice a certain someone waiting at the door for him, with a rather…..Peeved look on her face.

Of course the blonde was simply too focused on his thoughts to pay it any mind, at least until he slowly started picking up the hostile aura his friend was giving off, _"Damnit, maybe if I try that trick with some ninja wire, a rusty kunai and a banana it might work or….Why do I suddenly get the feeling I pissed someone off?"_

Eyes quickly widened as he looked up just in time to meet the business end of a rolling pin. Surprisingly despite all of his intense physical training it still managed to hurt like hell.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

With a hint of frustration he quickly pushed the pin away and frowned at Renka trying to look intimidating though failing due in part to the pin shaped bruise running down his face while Renka merely looked away coyly, her previous fury now replaced with simple enjoyment.

"Sorry Naruto, but I warned you what would happen if you were late getting back again."

Rubbing his bruised face slightly he merely grunted in slight frustration at the girls action, "Even so, must you always smack me over the head when I'm thinking. You know you could tap me on the shoulder or just poke me, ever consider that before trying to smash my face in."

The response he got was a hard tap to the shoulder followed by several painful pokes to the face, all of which Renka performed with a gleeful smile on her face, "You're right Naruto this is more fun, thanks for the info."

The frustrated blonde merely growled at his face and body again being abused by said girl, even though he had a moment ago been worrying about her safety and what actions to take against Loki, for now he felt it best to push said thoughts aside so as not to draw any suspicion. So with that in mind he merely let out a growl and a a rather simple.

"That is not what I meant Renka and you know it."

The green eyed girl merely stuck out her tongue in a playful manner in response to her friends anguish, "Sorry Naruto, but you just make it so easy, besides you said you'd be back as soon as you were done talking with your friend. What did you want to talk about with him anyway?"

At the mere mentioned of his so called_ Friend_ the blonde had to again restrain himself from showing hostile emotions towards Loki, knowing doing so would arouse suspicion, no matter how immensely he wanted to make said individual suffer.

Quickly swallowing the fury like a spoonful of cold medicine he readopted his normal netural face and offered a like shrug, "Just wanted to ask how I've been and why I haven't been talking to him. Frankly I didn't feel much like talking and tried to leave pretty quickly."

This got Renka both curious and a little sad considering it sounded like Naruto might have lost a friend, "Oh, did you guys have a disagreement or something?"

"_Renka you don't even know the half of it."_

Again Renka found herself frowning as she saw her friends face harden if only for an instance making it clear that something went down but she couldn't quite place her finger on it , _"Great more secrets, as if he wasn't already keeping enough from me. UH this is so frustrating, I can't press the issue cause then he'll never say anything but if I don't then he just keep pulling this. Stay calm Renka, remember what Master Hakubi, said take it slow, he'll tell me when he's ready stay calm."_

After indulging herself in a brief in mental war, Renka decided to drop the issue with Naruto, at least for now anyway. Said blonde took notice of this and quickly softened his gaze, trying to regain his slight smile, taking solace in the fact that at least for the moment things were calm and hopefully nothing else would ruin the moment.

"Hey Naruto."

The blonde's train of thought quickly halted as he slowly turned to look at Renka who seemed a little uneasy but also bit calmer than her usual self. To an extent he'd dare say she came across as a bit vulnerable, a far cry from her normally loud and boisterous self.

Of course not one to leave his friend hanging, the blonde quickly offered her a small smile, offering her his fully attention, "Oh sorry Renka, was a little lost in thought there. Something you want to say to me."

Once again just like a few days before Renka once again found her heart speeding up, due mainly to the fact that despite how things might have gotten earlier, she did feel like she was managing to form a real connection the blonde and was more sure than ever that now was likely the best time to capitalize on the situation. Well that and a little advice from Hakubi.

_(Flashback hour or two ago)_

_Hakubi watched things in Gekirin progress as Ryu and Shokatsu did there best to serve all the customers currently in the restaurant. Truth be told things weren't nearly as bad as he'd made them out to be, but being the sly old man that he was his real motive for bringing Renka and Naruto back was to hear all the details about how their relationship had advanced._

_Just thinking about it brought a chuckle to the old master as he envisioned all the possible things the two teens did while they were away, "Hopefully Renka finally managed to take the next step and progress things along with Naruto. The boy is fairly bright but when it comes to simple teenage affairs like dating I feel like he won't understand anything without some effort."_

_Oddly enough the feeling wasn't exclusive to the old master as a good number of the patrons in the restaurant as well were intrigued by the pairs current state of affairs. Thanks in part to their bodyguard services at the restaurant and somewhat entertaining daily arguments Naruto and Renka had become quiet popular among the restaurants many customers, several of whom had been coming back to the store just to watch their progress and given the near high point before the infamous phone call they were starving for some new material._

_The activity of the restaurant quickly grew quiet as the sight of Renka was caught by those watching, entering the establishment….__**Alone**__! _

_Hakubi along with the two disciples raised eyebrows at the blonde's absence, knowing full well he wouldn't up and leave Renka unless it was serious. Though given the rather placid look on her face it likely wasn't too serious to register any alarms._

_As such Hakubi did his best to push down any suspicions he had and welcome the girl openly, "Glad to see you're back Renka, I trust everything with your father went rather well?"_

_The mischievous bluenette adopted a deceitfully cute smile with her hands on her hips and nose high in the air, "Lets just say that daddy dearest won't be making any travel arrangements in the foreseeable future." _

_Hakubi ended up snickering even more at the thought of Kensei literally bowing to the mercy of his sixteen year old daughter, it was simply too funny not to laugh at. _

"_Glad to have you back Renka, but where's that idiot Naruto. Normally you don't go anywhere without him and vice versa…did something happen?"_

_Shokatsu who'd entered the conversation quickly brought up part of what everyone else was thinking, bringing the collective gazes of those present on Renka, now blushing mad at the implication. Ryu of course elbowed his buddy in the ribs for his somewhat poorly timed comment, "Dude seriously, show some tact."_

_Of course Renka quickly let out in a somewhat loud voice, "Nothing happened, Naruto just needed to talk with a friend of his and will be back soon enough. Geez."_

_Several patrons and Hakubi let out a collective sigh of relief at that, knowing the potential relationship was still possible. With a sinister gleam in his eye Hakubi decided to push on further, "Oh well that's good. I'm a bit surprised; I didn't think Naruto had any other friends, at least not ones he'd been willing to mention up to this point. Though I suppose that's a moot issue right now so moving on tell me have you made any __progres__s as of late with you know who?"_

_Renka's normal blush went full on crimson to the point where people thought the blood from her face was going to burst like a balloon. At first the girl was too embarrassed to even manage about a single word, but her whole body was shaking with either could be described as embarrassment or frustration. Of course it didn't take long for it to boil over and Renka to pretty much shout to the heavens._

"_NO I DIDN'T OKAY. I HAD A BUNCH OF CHANCES BUT I BLEW EVERYONE OF THEM, WHY IS THIS SO DAMN HARD!"_

_After another second of shouting the blue haired time bomb slowly exhaled trying to regain the oxygen she just lost screaming while Hakubi just sighed at her lack of progression and tact._

_Collective silence was held by everyone in the restaurant, all their eyes focused on Renka, said girl currently and obviously emotionally chaotic, hence Hakubi and his disciples weren't too surprised to see Renka quickly glare angrily at the gawking customers with a furious look in her eyes, _

"_What are YOU looking at?"_

_Everyone quickly redirected their attention to their food or the ways, Renka still huffing, her face still red and steam coming out of her ears. With a sigh Hakubi quickly walked up to Renka and then slowly led her back to the kitchen, offering the boys a look that read, "Keep things in check while I handle this."_

_The two nodded in response and returned to their tasks while Hakubi led Renka to the kitchen. Once they were safely behind closed doors he quickly turned his attention to Renka, "Okay Renka, now that everything's nice and quiet why don't you just let me know what the problem is?"_

_The girl let out a breath as she calmed her some conflicted thoughts before thinking back to all that had taken place the last few days, "I know that I mainly dragged Naruto along to you know help with my dad, but I was hoping that somehow I might finally have gotten the chance to make him see me as more than a friend or at least ask him out finally."_

_Hakubi nodded as he shined his glasses with his sleeve while holding onto to Renka's words, "And yet things didn't go how you'd hoped did they?"_

_The girl threw her hands up in frustration, "No, I mean we spent some time at that Ryozanpaku place dad lives in and well lets just say things didn't go perfectly there. Then at the pool I really thought I could get his attention and it seemed to work, just not how I thought it would in the end. _

_That actually got Hakubi to raise an eyebrow and a question mark appeared over his head, "And what exactly happened at the pool? Nothing too outrageous I hope." _

_The oldman was met with a harsh slap to the head in response while Renka shook somewhat in amusing anger at the implication, "Get your head out the gutter. Sheesh hakubi you're just as bad as my dad is some times." _

_Lightly wiping the bump on his head the old man chuckled at the violent response, ignoring the light pain in his head, "Sorry, sorry, you know how I get from time to time. Anyway please continue."_

_Letting out a light sigh, Renka immediately continued her retelling, "Well after the pool we got your call and decided to head back." Renka paused for a moment, gaining a somewhat far away look in her eyes as she recalled the events that happened after._

_This got Hakubi's attention in full as it was obvious to him that something substantial happened, "And I imagine something serious took place."_

_Rather than nod Renka simply looked on with a somewhat placid look on her face and a light blush growing, "As we were walking, we started talking and Naruto actually mentioned some parts of his past. It actually caused him to act differently then he usually did. I can't explain it but it seemed like there was an entirely different side to him I'd never seen before, and I don't know why but something about it just felt so… right like it's who he truly is."_

_The more Renka talked about it the more her tone shifted to one of what he could say longing and affection. Hakubi was of course somewhat surprised that the normally quiet blonde had even been willing to share anything about his past, but the idea he could do such a drastic personality swap was quiet an interesting revelation. _

_However, likely the most interesting thing about it was how said change seemed to affect Renka, almost making her feelings for the boy even stronger than they already were. "So what's the problem Renka. From the way you make it sound, its as if you want to be with Naruto even more than ever." _

_The blue haired kung fu fighter's distant gaze and ever reddening face made it obvious that Hakubi was right though now it seemed like the hurdles she'd have to overcome had grown, "Ever since I first met him I always felt like he's been concealing himself from me, like the way he acts isn't his true self. I guess its partially because of that's kept me from just walking up and asking him out. Now that I've gotten a chance to see what Naruto's really like, even if it's only for a moment, I'm more sure than ever about my feelings for him. But now I don't think I can ask him, I mean it was already a huge effort before, how can I even hope to do it now." _

_Renka heard Hakubi sigh at her words before feeling a light pressure on her shoulder, looking up to find the old master gazing at her with a kind and supportive expression that presented more words than could be spoken, "Renka, love is never something that's easy. It requires some effort and you have to be willing to take a chance even if you don't feel fully up to it. From what you've told me its clear you truly care about Naruto and that should be all you need to step forward. Trust your feelings Renka and don't let your fear hold you back, because that my dear would be more painful than anything you may be feeling now."_

_Renka slowly felt a sense of confidence grow in the pit of her stomach as Hakubi's words resounded through her like the sound of a bell. A confident expression grew on her face as she tightened her fists with a serious yet somewhat humorous expression._

"_Naruto better be ready cause the next time I see him we're going on a date whether he's ready or not." _

_(Flashback Ends)_

Naruto watched his coworker with mild fascination as up until a few moments ago she'd been acting rather reserved, something he'd come accustomed to as she seemed to act that way around him a lot. In a way it reminded him of Hinata though he wasn't totally crazy about the shy thing as he was more accustomed to seeing Renka's more boisterous take no prisoners attitude. Sure she'd beat him up on occasion and give him some serious lip but it actually brought some much needed life into his daily routine and well with Renka it just seemed to click.

Though he quickly found like maybe he'd prefer the shy Renka as in a matter of seconds she was now gazing at him with what looked like fire in her eyes…Not the metaphor, no as in he could literally see tiny fireballs burning brightly in her eyes and her hand was currently curled up into a tight fist. Her arm shaking and the normally fearsome blonde was suddenly wishing his was back with Loki all of sudden.

Renka on the other hand felt her pulse racing with anticipation as she readied herself, no longer willing to let her feelings be held back by fear. With renewed determination and a drive to act Renka closed the gap between her and the object of her affection, who was clearly uncomfortable with her change in attitude but at this point she didn't care.

Finally stopping just a few feet away, she promptly raised her hand up and pointed her finger literally just a few inches from Naruto's face who actually flinched somewhat at the proximity. All the restaurant patrons where literally on the edge of their seats as the watched, some actually cramming food down their throats as if at a movie theater. Hakubi was literally shaking and all waited for the proclamation.

Renka opened her mouth and prepared to make her declaration…

(RING, RING. _Yes Ladies and Gentlemen I really am that much of a Dick)_

Everyone literally felt their jaws hit the floor as Naruto's phone's familiar ring echoed throughout the restaurant, very familiar of the last instance. Hakubi felt compelled to slap his forehead at the poor timing but felt a chill go up his spine when he saw the oppressive aura surrounding Renka.

Naruto of course wasn't fairing much better though didn't say anything as his phone continued to ring. Though he didn't even have the chance to answer it as Renka with speed he'd never seen all but ripped the device out of his pocket and opened it up.

She then spoke very softly but in a menacing tone that pretty much read death, "_I'm sorry, Naruto's busy at the moment. Please don't call this number for the next several hours." _Then without saying another word she hung the phone up and promptly ripped the battery out of it before flinging it into a nearby patrons soup, ensuring no further interruptions.

Hakubi didn't know whether to chuckle or frown at the possible health violations but didn't say anything as he watched Renka.

Naruto of course stayed quiet up to this point but finally decided to throw caution to the wind and ask what everyone else was thinking, "So, Renka is there something you want to talk about?" His tone was hesitant and a bit shaky actually afraid of what would happen next.

Renka slowly turned to him; her face shadowed yet her eye gleaming like a wild beast stalking its prey. Naruto immediately felt his heart beating like a wild drum as she closed in feeling fear and to an extent attraction to Renka's action, though he attributed that second part to life or death impulse.

Regardless Renka resumed her position and slowly raised her head to face him, Naruto's pulse growing ever faster and the remaining patrons literally chewing into their seats. Finally the girls gaze met Naruto's and surprisingly she didn't have a demonic look on her face, no but a confident exuberant one that actually caused Naruto's own heart beat to increase, yet was noticeably vacant of any fear.

Once again taking a deep breath Renka promptly point her finger at Naruto and stated in a confident booming voice for all the heavens to hear, "Naruto Uzumaki, You and I are going to be going on a date this week," Her face then regained it's normal smile and cheerful demeanor, "Okay?"

There was immediately silence, so much so that one could almost say they heard the sound of Renka's rapidly beating heart and the air currently leaving Naruto's throat as he just stood there rooted in place completely shell shocked at what just happened.

As expect Hakubi after getting over some surprise at Renka finally being able to do what she'd sworn she would was now secretly doing backflips in his mind of her finally succeeding in taking the next step forward. _"Finally those two can actually take their relationship somewhere, that is if they can make it past the first date."_

Of course Hakubi quickly jumped away from his thoughts and took note of how Renka and Naruto were still standing in oddly enough the same positions they were after the proclamation though looking closely it was fairly obvious that Renka's face was getting much redder than it was a few seconds ago and was about ready to burst.

Naruto wasn't fairing any better though his eyes and face were pretty much blank, wind just blowing past his face without any reaction. His mind clearly unprepared for what just happened and unable to respond and if one were to read his mind well, lets just say that when he first mistook Renka for asking him out with some surprise actually hearing those words for real…Well

_(Inside Naruto's Mind)_

"_Loud TV Static"_

Thus it didn't take a genius to figure out that the blonde was too astounded by the action to give an intelligent response which despite his growing maturity was understandable since again never been asked out by anything in his entire life, gender being moot.

Of course Hakubi wasn't going to leave the poor boy hanging out to dry, hence with a little effort, Hakubi quickly walked over to Naruto and shook him just enough to shake him out of his daze, "Naruto, Renka asked you out on a date, it's polite to respond right?"

The shell-shocked blonde barely registered the words, though managing out a small nod in response.

The somewhat questionable response or yes seemed enough for Renka who awoke from her shock and quickly ran back into the kitchen before screaming in delight.

(Loud Girlish Scream)

Some people quickly covered their ears, others looked on with satisfied smirks at the sight of said girl finally summoning the courage to ask the boy she liked out and some watched in fascination as numerous glass cups shattered as a result of the ear splitting sound of the girls' voice.

Sadly the sound itself seemingly wasn't loud enough to penetrate Naruto's own mind, currently still filled with the sound of his own mental static. Hakubi naturally tried his best to get another response out of him but wasn't getting much of anything. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Hakubi rubbed his bald head in frustration, "I knee the boy would be surprised but I never would have imagined this would be his reaction."

Ryu and Shokatsu who were watching nearby chuckled at the boys dilemma, "Guess the kid hasn't been on a date before, must not be used to the feeling quite yet. Certainly wasn't easy for me to the first time a girl asked me out."

Shokatsu frowned slightly at his friends comment and scoffed slightly, "Ryu a little girl asking if you'd like to share a chocolate cookie when you're five is not a date."

The glasses wearing waiter blushed in embarrassment at being called out and quietly muttered under his breath, "_Wasn't the first date I went on."_

Shokatsu merely shook his head in embarrassment at his friends poor attempt to defend his honored though he still walked up to Naruto who was still frozen and while reaching across to a pitcher of ice water on a nearby table before, without any kind of warning dumping the water all over the blondes head.

The reaction pretty much was instantaneous as the boys originally shell shocked eyes widened considerably while the water dripped down his face and he himself let out a loud scream of his own.

"DAMN THAT'S COLD!"

Shokatsu of course chuckled at the blondes reaction and continued to mockingly laugh at his coworkers distress, watching him shake the water out of his hair like a wet dog while the others watched with some enjoyment or a degree of well surprise at the surprising tonal shift that took place in the short span of three seconds.

Said humorous shift continued as Naruto likely brought about by the sudden shock of be being dosed in ice water got right up in Shokatsu's face, dripping some degree of the water still on his face dripping onto the cooks clothes of course he didn't seem bothered, too amused by his little act of amusement.

Quietly wiping some of the water that managed to get on his glasses before calmly speaking into the blondes face in a tone that clearly indicated he was milking the moment for all that it was worth, "Well Naruto, are you finally back from your little romance trip?"

Naruto frowned deeply at the cook's words, obviously feeling contempt for his clear amusement at his dilemma but seemed to take it quite well at first even putting his hand of his friends shoulder in a friendly manner, "Actually yes Shokatsu, thanks for that. After all what better way to wake someone up then with water in the face right."

There was a brief pause before Naruto resumed his speech with a tone that made it obvious he had other intentions, "Oh there's…THIS!"

Faster than Shokatsu could blink the cook suffered a serious blow to the gut knocking the literal wind out of him. The blow of course wasn't very strong as it was only meant for humor but did cause the preverbal wind to be taken out of the boys sails.

Shokatsu obviously didn't look happy as he tried his best to glare threateningly at his attacker but any intimidation he could have brought was neutralized by his pained face, which made him look like a gold fish gasping for air.

"Ryu, do me a favor and kick his ass for me." The cook having turned his attention to his partner, hoping he'd avenge him in some over dramatic fashion only to have his hopes dashed when said partner turned his back to him while pretending to clean his glasses, "Sorry man, but you kind of were asking for that when you dumped water on his head."

Shokatsu quietly muttered out, "_traitor" _while Hakubi quickly clapped his hands together to get their attention and try to regain some sense of normality

"Alright everyone time to get back to work, this has been fun but its time to get things back in order." Patrons quietly resumed their eating and dialogue while Ryi and Shokatsu returned to their daily jobs.

Naruto of course prepared to resume his duties or at least considered it before Hakubi placed a hand on his should quickly getting his attention. Looking at the master the old bald man smiled lightly at him, "A moment if you please Naruto?"

Quietly nodding the pair slowly entered the master's office within the resturant before Hakubi turned and smiled to the boy, " So Naruto my boy, what did you think of Renka's little request. Not every day you get asked out by a beautiful girl is it?"

Said comment quickly caused the blonde to remember Renka's little declaration, which had briefly escaped from his mind, yet now had returned to his minds point of focus.

His face red again he tried coughing lightly to cover up his obvious discomfort/embarrassment in the subject matter, "Well, you're right about the not being asked out everyday part."

Hakubi's eyebrows raised at the comment or rather the obvious meaning it contained which he could easily read like the pages in a book, "I take it you've not been on many dates in the past, have you my boy?"

Rather than respond or even gesture the ex ninja simply allowed his silence to say all that was needed, though the frown on his face was a helpful indicator.

The old master now didn't know whether to smack himself in the head or laugh at this new development, "_This could defiantly complicate things, guess Naruto isn't quite like Kensei after all…At least when it comes to dating."_

Truth be told despite Kensei's…less than desirable personality quirks and hobbies, as a young man he not only attracted a great deal of challengers hoping to gage their skills but also a number of female admirers, many of whom he'd taken on dates before and was very skilled in the art. Hence he knew how to attempt things with Renka's mother, though that's not to say things weren't awkward or Kensei was flying blind.

Of course Naruto seemed like he was just as capable of attracting plenty of admirers and perfectly capable of going on at least of few outings with those of the opposite sex, if some of the glances he received from female patrons was any proof. Regardless the master wasn't the least bit discouraged, just meant he needed a little coaching.

So with a slight breath he calmly gestured Naruto to sit down and console him in the manner of dating. "Now Naruto, there's nothing to be concerned about. If anything you should be happy that Renka asked you out, I mean you like her don't you?"

The blonde almost jumped at the question and his race darkened a few shades while his mind flashed images of his very attractive friend whom he'd grown very close to over time and could certainly tell he felt something for her that easily rose above mere friendship. _"I do like Renka a lot…she's probably the closest friend I've made since I got here and I might even say I like her more than as a friend. But dating?"_

At the thought of it the blonde's mind actually flashed back to a fantasy he once had about his longtime crush Sakura and how he simply wanted to go on a date with her. Nothing fancy or anything like that simply him and her eating at Ichiraku Ramen with a possible kiss near the end. Of course now he found Renka being put in the pink haired girls place. Of course Naruto quickly remember how epically he'd failed in trying to get her to go on a date with him and well his lack of experience in this field didn't do much for his confidence.

Still he managed to respond to Hakubi's query, "I'm not saying I don't like Renka Master Hakubi, I do. It's just well….."

"You've never been on a date with anyone before and you're completely in the dark about what course of action to take?"

Naruto's blue eyes widened while simply nodding in reply at Hakubi's accurate assumption with the old master merely chuckling in response. The Old master quietly stood up and walked towards the window of his office door observing the patrons in the restaurant, specifically Renka who returned to her position, "my boy what you're feeling is perfectly understandable. A first date is always something that gives people cold feet, so there's nothing to worry about."

With another smile he quickly turned his head enough so Naruto could see his face, "Also between you and me, Renka's never been on a date either if you can believe it. Poor girls spent the majority of her time chasing her father she's never really considered dating and her headstrong attitude normally chases any potential hopefuls away. Hence she's just as nervous if not more than you are."

Quietly returning to his seat, the old master faced the teen and looked him straight in the eye, "Naruto I can't force you to make this decision as it is ultimately one you must make yourself. That being said you shouldn't be so afraid to move forward with this despite your lack of experience. Renka is a wonderful girl and I know you both care deeply for each other, thus you shouldn't let your reservations or lack of experience stop you from letting those feelings come to the surface."

Naruto remained seated, Hakubi's words actually serving to quell some of the worry he'd been feeling and making him better come to realize his growing feelings for his blue haired friend. Again he wasn't saying he outright loved the girl but he did like her more than as a friend and possibly wanted to see where said relationship would go.

Hakubi offered him another reassuring look, "My boy, everyone is afraid to be honest with their feelings either because of rejection or simply the unknown. However, it isn't until later that they truly come to fear their inability to go back and try to make those feelings known, left to mourn what could have been. Don't let your fears hold you back my boy, you'll only come to regret it."

Like the sound of a bell resonating all throughout the wind Naruto felt his heart swell with confidence at the old masters words, which Hakubi took in stride simply by the boys expression.

Taking a calming breath Naruto quietly rose from his seat with renewed confidence, "Thanks Master Hakubi, guess I was letting this whole date thing get the better of me. After all I won't know how things work out until I try, right?"

The bald master nodded at the boys response and smiled as it was clear his work had finally paid off in the end. Though Naruto despite his newly gained confidence still had one final obstacle to overcome which didn't seem as easily resolvable.

"Uh Master, any idea where I should take Renka on this date?"

Hakubi at that point lost all composure due to the complete tonal shift, his baldhead crashing against the hard floor, _"Guess I'm not quite finished here yet."_

(Time Shift, an hour later)

"_Just what the heck are those two talking about in there. How long does it take Hakubi to give out any advice…I wonder if I might have come on a little too strong. Naruto's reaction wasn't what I'd been hoping for. Damn I knew I should have at least practiced a little before actually asking him."_

The poor blue haired girl felt the strong urge to take the serving plate she had in her hands and smack herself in the face with it at her own short comings in the dating world. True as Hakubi stated, Renka had never been on a date before nor had she ever asked anyone on a date either and her attempt to ask Naruto out may have been a bit strong.

Of course she tried to simply tackle the issue as she does everything else, with the Ma family patented, "Force First Approach." Now she was slowly regretting said decision and had since been worrying like crazy about Naruto's eventual response to her date request, fearing rejection.

Her worry was reflected in her actions as she was showing a lack of attention, actually pouring water on guests instead of in their glasses or almost tripping over her own feet.

Yet she tried her best to push those worries out of her head until the final words came out of Naruto's mouth and her actions would follow depending on said outcome.

Which unfortunately for Renka suddenly came about as the sound of Hakubi's door opening alerted everyone to the action to come. Renka however, felt her heart nearly burst out of her chest in fear. Sweat dripping down her brow like rain as she heard footsteps approach her coupled with the sounds or chair creaking as guests watched in anticipation.

Finally the steps stopped and all became quiet, yet Renka refused to turn fearing what would come. Of course Hakubi picked up on this as the sound of his coughing caught her attention.

"Renka, if you would be so kind as to turn around I believe Naruto has something to say to you."

The poor girls breath hitched as she now felt a sense of urgency unable to stand still, yet her body slowly turned as if rusted metal her mind unable to properly fathom what was to come. With some degree of nervous response Renka felt compelled to close her eyes but a small voice in her heard screamed out ordering her not to.

Finally her green eyes met Naruto's blue and for a brief moment it felt as if there was no one else in the whole room or even the world. Time seemed to slow down as the blueneette awaited the response. Her mind was so focused she didn't notice the nervous look on Naruto's face as well nor Hakubi nudging him to press on.

So with a slight gulp the blonde managed to put regain his fox like grin and with some mirth in his voice stated very clearly.

"So Renka, what time would you like to go out?"

After those words had been uttered you could have heard the sound of a flea's leg hit the floor as everyone had gone silent. The Patrons around the restaurant has various reactions ranging from dropped jaws, wide eyes, hearts in their eyes, soft gazes at the pairs progression and some flat out were close to cheering. Hakubi of course was simply smiling, resisting the urge to give the two a thumbs up.

Though Renka of course was having some serious trouble reacting as her mind literally went flat. Her brain had pretty much overloaded as those single words left the boys mouth, her face however, oddly enough wasn't red for some reason, though that could easily be cropped up to her brain being unable to process the volume of emotion she felt.

Still the bluenette had enough mental energy to manage a weak nod before her mind went blank. Her body now frozen solid, with the only part of her moving being the bells in her hair letting off a small chim.

Naruto and Hakubi sweatdropped slightly at her reaction as Naruto tried his best to shake her awake with little success. Hakubi merely sighed at the poor girls reaction, _"Not quite what I expected but all things considered it could have turned out a lot weirder. Regardless those two have finally taken the first real step and hopefully it leads to a path of happiness that will last._

However, despite the rather joyous feelings going through both Naruto and Renka's minds, the blonde in question had another thought egging at him like a splinter that while not truly painful leaves a stinging sensation that never seems to leave you.

"_Just hope Loki doesn't pull any crap. I might be able to keep an eye on Renka but knowing him he'll look for any way to piss me off." _

(Hidden Location, few minutes prior)

Meanwhile currently locked away in his hole, the aforementioned Fourth Fist was currently typing away on his computer with a smirk on his face. His recent action of releashing Fenrir had put him in a seriously good mood. Of course now that he had his weapon back under his thumb it was time to move things a little more forward.

He'd already taken the first step during an earlier gathering with the Fists where he hopped to plant some seeds of betrayal in Berserker. Despite him being the Second Fist, Loki was confident with his help the pair could easily overthrow Ragnarock, Fenrir being the extra insurance needed for said plan.

Yet there was still a serious wrench in his plans. Fenrir unknowingly had slowly been influencing the other fists himself. While Odin and Berserker were as cold as ever, it was clear to Loki that Thor, Freya, Valkyrie and Siegefried had strangely become somewhat closer to each other since his arrival. This inturn meant the likelihood they'd turn against one another was slim at best.

Hence the reason he'd come up with a new idea to fix this latest problem and the program he was currently typing away on.

"Fenrir's interference might have caused a few problems but I can still turn things in my favor and wouldn't you know it Shirahama's gonna end up helping me do it. Thanks to that little mishap with his sister that moron is gonna be gung-ho determine to take Ragnarock down one Fist at a time."

Loki could read the unfortunate disciple like a children's book and knew he'd look for the easiest opening to gain an offensive stance on his enemy. That in turn would present the possibility to start knocking the currently joined fists apart, making it easier to usurp Odin. It was already showing signs as Siegefried had apparently been showing signs of switching sides, muttering some nonsense about the group lacking the more boisterous melody of friendship he seemed to only find in Fenrir.

It was in part for this reason that Loki had already made plans to deal with the next fist on his preverbal hit list, Thor. Of the remaining fists Thor's loyalty was fairly strong yet he was also a foolishly honorable individual meaning it could easily be exploited to his ends. Of course the real icing on the cake was his friendship with Fenrir, something that would his actions lead to potential pain upon the Ninth fists, allowing him to further indulge in said warriors.

"_It's amazing what a little information spoken out of word of mouth can do. Now I get to kill to birds with one stone and move my plans forward." _Letting loose a sickening chuckle The Fourth Fist quickly shifted his attention to another monitor labeled "RM" currently showing the area just outside of Gekirin where he could see some activity going on in the restaurant.

His grin growing wider Loki slowly turned his full attention to the screen, _"Might as well check in on Fenrir and his girlfriend to see how things are going." _

The Fourth Fist quickly typed on his keyboard and the camera zoomed in as close to the windows as he could. Loki of course wasn't cocky enough to even try to plant a camera in the actual restaurant as he'd learned from Odin that high-ranking martial artists had crazy sensory abilities that would have made any hidden camera they would be able to find it without even trying to look.

Thus his picture wasn't perfect but he'd still sprung for high quality equipment so he was able to make out enough of the picture to clearly see Naruto and Renka near each other, both faces clearly red and activity brewing.

Loki's teeth began to glimmer as his mouth stretched from ear to ear, "Looks like I just hit pay dirt…Now just adjust the volume and clarity a bit."

The noise from the inside that seemed like static gargle quickly became all clearer to him and he quickly started chuckling as he managed to pick up on not only the whole confession but the information that followed afterwards, namely the pairs dating plans and location.

In a matter of seconds the chuckling Fourth Fist was spinning around his chair like a sugar high eight year old.

"And everyone keeps saying that evesdropping never pays off. Oh this information's absolutely perfect and the timing couldn't be better." He quickly turned to a nearby screen and typed in some information before a video image of one of his shadows popped up.

"_Yes Commander Loki what is it?"_

"Listen I want you to pass on some information to our other agents in the neighborhood regarding Thor's little underground fight group."

The shadow raised an eyebrow at the request confused at the request, "_But sir is that really wise? After all word's spread the Shinpaku Alliance is now looking for any kind of dirt they can dig up about Ragnarock and its likely that they'll attack at the drop of a hat."_

The Fourth fist continued to smirk and chuckle as the gears in his head continued to the turn and the image of his new scheme flowing through his mind, "That's exactly what I'm hoping for. In fact make sure that the information manages to reach that freak Nijima. No way he'll such data go to waste."

"_Sir I still don't get it. What exactly are you hopping to accomplish by this?"_

Loki's grin turned full blown treacherous, his chuckling grew dark, "Not much, just a little destruction amongst the ranks of Ragnarock?"

The Shadow paused for a moment, _"What about Fenrir sir, aren't you worried he'll interfere?"_

At that point the Fourth Fist burst out laughing in a mirthful manner reminiscent of a psychopath slowly torturing his victim in as slow and painful a manner as possible, "Oh I don't think that'll be a problem. Let's just say I have a feeling he'll be preoccupied for a while."

Choosing not to argue further the shadow nodded and signed off, leaving his master to continue laughing before taking a brief glance back at the image on the camera at Gekirin. He'd paused the image of Renka and Naruto smiling and blushing in each other's company, a moment that should have seemed both romantic and beautiful.

Loki however, only saw a means of further exploitation as he now felt his chain around Fenrir's collar grow tighter, "After all thanks to Fenrir's own actions, I've got more ammo on him now than ever. Wonder how long I can drag it out before he snaps. Hehehe…Guess we'll find out, won't we Fenrir?

(Scene change, next day, around 7:00 Park)

"Somehow I can't help but feel like we might be missing something here?"

"No kidding, this isn't exactly what I imagined my first date would be like either you know."

Those were the words being spoken by the pair of Naruto and Renka currently just walking through the local park, trying to make the most of their step into the dating world…or at least what would qualify as sort of a date.

Yes contrary to popular belief the pairs first time out together was not something either extravagant like some dinner or even something as cliché as a movie. Due in partial part to their lack of experience with dating in general brought on by their, "unique" social lives and duties neither really had a lot of time to prepare anything special.

Though the real roadblock was that despite their time together, neither really knew that much about each other. That is Naruto knew only a little about Renka's background almost none of her interests or likes while Renka pretty much knew next to nothing about the blondes own interests. Needless to say that would make any normal date kind of awkward.

Thankfully before things could crash and burn before they began Hakubi, once again bailing their respective asses out recommended a simple walk through the park as an attempt to better connect with each other and see if they could effectively connect enough to move up to the more romantic areas of dating. So in effect you could call it more a practice date than an actual one but really that was a matter of perspective.

Naruto of course was pretty okay with the idea, mainly cause he didn't like the idea of flying into said experience blind and possibly screwing up. Renka on the other hand wasn't so happy as after everything she went through to ask the blonde out was hoping for something a little more romantic than a stroll through the park. But Hakubi effectively shut her up and sent the pair off to work things out.

The pair continued on for a few moments with Renka musing over what course of action to take to at least make the night memorable or useful, _"Well it might not be exactly what I was hoping for but then again I mainly wanted to try and get Naruto to be more open with me. So maybe this could work in my favor, just need to be a little patient." _

In an attempt to break the silence the bluenette decided to try and break the ice and finally ask something to Naruto that had been bothering her for something, "Say Naruto think I can ask you something?"

The Blonde who had up to that point been somewhat contemplating his own coarse of action redirected his attention to Renka and nodded at the question without much of a verbal response.

"Well I'm curious, I know you said this is the first time anyone's asked you out but I can't help but wonder why that is exactly?"

The rather odd question caused the Ninth fist to raise an eyebrow as the question seemed rather out of no where, "Any particular reason your so interested?"

Renka again found herself recalling Naruto's mention of his godfather and how it alluded to a possibly dark childhood or at least tragic life for her favorite blonde. While she didn't want to try and press the issue to where she'd potential bring up more bad memories her curiosity and desire to grow closer to the boy prompted her to peer into his past in other ways.

"Well it's just I'm pretty surprised. I mean so many of the girls at the restaurant ogle you all the time. Not to mention that little incident two days ago as well, what did you just grow up in a place with no girls or something?" Naruto found himself paling slightly at the girls subtle mention of the beautiful Miu Furinji's rather affectionate reaction to him. Of course he was aware that said response was more childlike than actual affection, though Naruto had plenty of other reasons for ignoring said girls advances. _"Somehow Renka I get the feeling Miu would probably be more likely to give me another taste of concrete before asking me out, especially if she learned I'm Fenrir."_

As for the other comment he didn't know whether to chuckle or possibly frown mainly considering the types of girls he was commonly surrounded with, "I can promise you Renka there were plenty of girls in my home town. Truth is I just wasn't very popular at the time and well dating wasn't exactly high on my priority list anyway so no big deal."

His answer however, didn't satisfy Renka as he could tell he was still hiding something. Naruto might have been a serious mature guy most of the time but he was still a guy, a hormonal teenage guy. There was no way he could go fifteen years without being interested in someone, "So you're saying you never had a crush on anyone?"

The question made the blonde pause as the familiar image of a certain pink haired medical ninja popped up in his head, an image he'd practically had burned into his brain since he was young. The pause of course meant Renka had hit the nail on the head and now found herself totally invested in learning more, mainly to scope out possible competition.

"Alright Naruto spill, this girl you liked what was she like? Come on tell me?"

The blonde didn't want to respond at first as while he would have somewhat liked to reminiss about his old life, said action could potentially make him long to return to his place of origin which of course was out of the question. Though he knew Renka wouldn't just leave him alone partially because she was naturally curious about his past and as evident by her action of asking him out clearly liked him and wanted to hopefully form a stronger bond with him.

That in turn made him feel somewhat more compelled to speak as while bringing up the past might have at times been painful it allowed him to forge new strong ones with the people he'd come to hold dear now. So he chose to indulge her somewhat,

"Alright fine. She was a girl from where I grew up, her name was Sakura and I had a crush on her for as long as I can remember. You could say I was bit obsessed, too bad she didn't reciprocate?"

"Huh, she shot you down?"

At that point Naruto felt himself cringe slightly as he recalled the numerous manners in which his former crush had seen fit to reject his date propositions, "If you consider punching me so many times that I wonder how I haven't suffered permanent brain damage than yeah she shot me down a lot."

Renka quickly found herself frowning as she tried to imagine this Sakura girl in her mind. Based on Naruto's tone it was pretty obvious whatever feelings he had were likely destroyed along with the brain cells she must have killed with her acts of physical violence. Granted Renka could be accused of the same act but she did it typically in a more playful manner and would only use a small amount of physical force. The way Naruto described this girl however, made her sound like some hardcore psycho, which left her with the simple question.

"Okay, if this girl was a bad as you make her sound, then why the heck did you like her in the first place?... Please don't tell me it was something stupid like she was really pretty right?"

Renka's tone made her disbelief to the blonde clear and it did somewhat raise the question that Naruto had secretly asked himself regarding his relationship with Sakura. Certainly she was beautiful at least to him but that hardly seemed like a consolation for all the abuse, the bad mouthing and most of all the obvious signs she was only interested in Sasuke and not him. True she'd become more accepting of him over the years and they'd become much closer, yet there was a part of him that keep screaming out to him that how no matter his efforts she'd always love Sasuke and not him. So that left the question of why…..?

Naruto found himself truly curious by this question and pondered the response, looking through his mind for a clear answer as he and Renka continued to walk. All the while his mind continued to show images of himself and Sakura together along with Sasuke, Kakashi and all the others from his village.

Renka watched as a small smile appeared on Naruto's face, though this wasn't the happy or boisterous smile she'd seen on him before. Rather this was a somewhat sorrowful, mirthless grin brought on by some past happiness that had long since been lost.

"I guess you could say it started out as just a childhood crush. Though she always only had eyes for another guy who later became a really good friend of mine. The two of them became some of the first real friends I ever had and I treasured the bonds we shared more than anything else. "

Renka gave a small frown at that, _''How can you treasure the fact that your friend was your crushes crush while she ignored and hit you?''_ she questioned.

"When you spend your whole life alone, you reach a point where you want someone to acknowledge and even hold your existence dear that you'd be willing to endure any pain to keep that bond. If only to avoid that empty hell again." Renka almost felt herself shiver at how cold and empty the boys' voice was, obviously reflective of a lonely existence that she still had only grasped the surface of.

"So what was your other friend like?" she asked and felt her heart drop as the blonde of her affections eyes gained a dark look, the temperature of the very air becoming bitterly cold.

"Let's just say we had a bit of a falling out," The blonde's eyes were are frozen as his tone, leading Renka to switch gears and topics...fast!

"Well never mid that hahaha." she laughed awkwardly, "Oh, um, ice cream!" she said pointing to Naruto.

Naruto blinked, "What?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Renka blushed, "Um, you know, ice cream, you get that on dates...I think." she said, wow she really was completely clueless on what to do here. Maybe she should have read a romance book or watched a few chick flick to better prepare herself.

_''Note to self: Chick flicks, need to know more about dating_.''

"Sure," Naruto said, wanting to move away from the less enjoyable parts of his past saw some guy selling ice cream in the distance, "Be right back, what flavor do you want?" he asked her.

Renka smiled a pretty smile, "Chocolate." she said and he nodded as he walked away, "With sprinkles!" she added and he nodded to this and continued walking, "Oh and a cherry on top!" she added further and blushed and started to call herself childish for adding those things.

_"Why can't this be simple?!"_

After a moment or two of berating herself on her maturity level Renka waited as Naruto returned with the ice cream in hand. His face showed a clear neutrality of the current situation as the memories from earlier still rung in his mind and were putting a damper on their evening.

Naruto quickly handed Renka her frozen treat though it took her a few moments to actually register it as she tried her best not to make another misstep…Unfortunately things didn't go as well.

Renka still in something of a half aware state managed to only grip part of the bottom of the cone with her hand, which due to the weight being at the top caused it to quickly tip over and the contents to spill, regrettably all over Naruto.

Alarms immediately went off in Renka's mind as she started to panic, "_OH CRAP! Great as if things weren't bad enough I had to go and spill the ice cream I begged him for all over him. Perfect as if this night could get any worse."_

Naruto of course didn't seem too of put by the rather cold substance currently all over the lower part of his shirt and pants. Having made a great deal of messes at the Restaurant on more than one occasion made this a minor problem. "Don't worry about it Renka, I got some napkins so I'll just clean it off."

However, Renka in an attempt to try and reverse the damage already done snatched the napkins from the blonde to clean off the ice cream herself. "No way Naruto, I was the klutz and I'll fix the problem so just let me take care of this."

Naruto again tried to protest but Renka already was quickly trying to rub away the melted ice cream. Of course Renka was still not completely thinking straight and had unintentionally ended up going a little too _far_ down to remove the ice cream.

Naruto's eyes quickly widened at this development and slowly felt himself panicking as he recall similar instances occurring in the village with Sakura and what they typically led to. Hence he quickly tried to get the girls attention, "Uh Renka, I think you might need to stop, like right now?" His tone was clearly urgent and thankfully enough to get the girl to finally regain her senses for a moment.

"What's the big deal Naruto, I'm just trying to get the ice cream off. What do you enjoy the idea of being covered in sticky goop?"

Naruto felt a cold sweat drip down his brow, as he spoke, "No of course not However, I feel that there are certain places where it'd be better if I did the cleaning." Renka raised an eyebrow at the comment as it was clear there was a hidden message behind it hence she decided to refocus her eyes on the area where her hand still remained and promptly saw the problem.

End result was Renka's face going nova red as she saw her hand was dangerously close to a certain area of a males body that…well one shouldn't even be near on a first date.

The poor girl honestly didn't know how to react still frozen in place with an equally embarrassed Naruto standing perfectly still in front of her. Neither made an attempt to move from their spot partially due to their shared mortification along with Renka's fear of increasing the level of discomfort while Naruto was simply afraid of pissing the girl off.

Naruto of course tried to remain calm in the situation and trying to figure out what step to take that wouldn't lead him to suffering any potential bodily harm, "_Okay, just calm down. Remember Renka's nothing like Sakura and only gets physical when things get really embarrassing or I do something really stupid…Oh wait that's exactly like Sakura, Crap. Okay never mind, maybe if I just take a step back and nothing else happens to push her over the edge.."_

"Oh my, can you believe those kids. Honestly teenagers today are so bold it's shocking."

Naruto immediately felt his spine tingle as his eye slowly turned to the source of the sound. He caught sight of an older couple currently strolling through the park who'd caught sight of the pair and as luck would have it were completely misinterpreting the current situation as something more devious than it actually was.

While thankfully they were the only other people in the park at the moment, having anyone see two people in such a position was not something wanted to be advertised and well…..based on past experience it never ended well for the blonde.

"_As if the timing couldn't be any worse." _Naruto immediately turned to look at Renka only to gulp as she slowly stood up and her face obscured from view. Feeling a sense of dread wash over him, the frightened teen tensed his body in preparation for the pain that was sure to follow…Yet it never came.

Naruto watched with strange curiosity as Renka merely stood there, her face still hidden. Hopping to get a reaction out of her he slowly reached over towards his would be date to try and shake her up only for him to notice a tear fall down her face.

Eyes quickly widened as Renka finally looked up showing her face red with embarrassment, yet not the angry embarrassment he'd seen in the past but rather a sort of distraught embarrassed.

The girl actually tried diverting her eyes, as if she was somewhat ashamed to look at him. Naturally Naruto tried to reach out to her but she pulled herself away somewhat leading Naruto respond, "Hey Renka, what's the matter? I was half expecting you to knock me flat on ass and instead you look like you're gonna cry what's up?"

Renka did her best to try and meet the boys' eyes but it was obvious she had some difficulty but managed to muster out a few words, "This was the first date I've ever been on and I really wanted it to at least be a memorable one. Yet nothing seemed to go right up to this point and all I've managed to do is bring up some unpleasant memories from your past, cover you in ice cream and then…" She tried again to hide her face as she recalled the most recent escapade, "I wanted to make this a fun night for us both because I really do like you Naruto and after everything I had to go through to ask you out the least I could hope for was for things to go right. Maybe we should just call it off and go."

The girl was at first met with silence and she feared the implications it carried half expecting Naruto to agree with her and leave. However, what she wasn't expecting was for him to lightly chuckle which at first glance would have been taken as an insult towards her words but something kept her from thinking otherwise.

Naruto was actually smiling somewhat with the grin he'd had the day before, one that showed more emotion than she'd seen in him before which only sere to make her heart flutter.

However, she still felt some degree of insult and pouted at the laughter, "Thanks a lot you jerk, I'm so happy my humiliation amuses you so." Naturally she only slightly meant what she was saying but there was a small part of her that did feel hurt by the laughter and wanted an answer.

Naruto managed to stop chuckling and looked at Renka with that same smile, "You think that after a few little missteps we should end this. Compared to most of the girls in my life, spilling ice cream on me is hardly anything painful. Even if things went totally wrong I'd still would've seen things through."

Any embarrassment Renka was feeling quickly melted away and her ears perked as she found herself growing more elated as the blonde spoke, her hope restored.

"When you asked me out, in your own unique way, I honestly didn't have any idea how to respond. Based on my own track record of no success I really didn't think it would happen, especially from a girl like you Renka."

The poor girl's blush returned though in a more pleasant fashion this time at her crush clearly acknowledging his enjoyment of her company. Naruto actually rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment for some reason, "Honestly I really like you to Renka, though admittedly I'm still a little new to this whole dating thing myself and frankly trying to wrap my head around it. However, what I do know is if a little ice cream spilling and a few awkward moments are all I have to deal with to keep this going then there's nothing to worry about."

The blonde ex-ninja then offered his hand like a gentlemen to the red-faced girl, "So Renka, wanna finish our date and hopefully have another one in the foreseeable future?"

Renka found herself frozen in place and didn't know what to do, looking up the hand as if it were the door to Nirvanna just waiting to be opened. Slowly and unconsciously her hand started to move towards Naruto's and brushed against it.

"Ah!" Renka squeaked, much to her embarrassment.

"Um." Naruto said as he felt her hand brush against his, his own face blushing somewhat as despite his confidence he himself had never actually held hands with a girl before and his confidence from before was momentarily, having been halted by the skin contact.

"Um, if you want to?" he asked and Renka gave a shaky nodded, not trusting her mouth.

They clumsily grasped each others hand and settled into a comfortable position with Naruto's hand on the bottom and Renka's on top.

...

The silence was really becoming unbearable, but to Renka, she kinda liked it since she was holding Naruto's hand.

It was rough with callouses, firm, but soft in someway at the same time.

It almost told a story of his character and how hard he had trained to get where he was today.

A story she hoped to hear one day.

While the date had started rather rocky and awkwardly once the pair had managed to settled some of the anxiety they'd been feeling things slowly started to work themselves out. Naruto actually managed to get Renka to share some more about herself primarily about her family and past experiences in China. Renka meanwhile finally learned a little more about the more interesting aspects of Naruto's life, primarily that he himself was originally an infamous prankster in his village notorious for wearing blindingly orange clothing.

The mention of which got a rousing bout of laughter from the girl unable to imagine normally calm and serious Naruto, who seemed more drawn to dark clothing actually act in such a childish manner.

Eventually the pair chose to stop on a park bench for a few moments just to take in some of the scenery before planning on heading back to the restaurant. Renka found herself positively elated, all signs of her previously distraught self gone. Despite some rocky moments things were turning out better than she'd hoped and she finally felt genuinely close to her crush who at least based on their time together returned her feelings to an extent.

Though the young kung fu user felt compelled to make one more bold move and rested her head on Naruto's shoulder. She quickly felt him stiffen and internally panic at possibly moving too soon. Thankfully he quickly relaxed and slumped his shoulder to give her a more comfortable position.

Inwardly, Renka was doing back flips at this progress she was making. Naruto himself was also happy at the experience despite somewhat being blind sighted by it, enjoying the warm presence of the girl on his shoulder, silently smiling to himself.

"_Who've thought that after all the crap I've had to go through, I find myself on a date with a girl like Renka. Guess things work out pretty unexpectedly, though I'm not complaining so long as nothing happens to…."_

(RING RING)

"_Ruin it!"_

The peaceful night silence was abruptly ended by the loud sound of that all familiar cellphone ring.

Naruto found himself sweating somewhat as he saw Renka look up at him with narrowed eyes, having thought they'd be rid of the thing!

Naruto wanting to avoid any possible emotional outbursts quickly offered him a look that said, "I'll take care of this quickly," before looking at the caller ID and saw it was Thor. He quickly offered a, "Sorry, really sorry." Apology to his date before moving a few feet away to speak with his cohort.

"Thor, what ever this is can't it wait, please?" he hissed hastily into the phone.

_"Greetings my friend, I was going to ask you something, but is something wrong?"_ Thor asked

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose at his friends question trying to avoid screaming at him for his poor timing, "Yes, yes there is, I'm kinda on a date now which was just starting to pick up after a few mishaps and your calls not helping with the mood?"

_"Ah, I see, perfectly understandable my friend. I, who has not had the chance for romance...sadly, understand. In that case I will call back later, nothing is more important than Romance and I will not let myself ruin yours. So please enjoy yourself and I'm rooting for you."_ Thor said, though his tone and lack of explanation for his calls purpose unsettled the Ninth Fist somewhat.

"Thanks man, see ya." Naruto said as he hung up the phone and turned to see Renka in his face.

"Who was that?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Naruto started to sweat, "Um, just a friend that wanted to give me some last minute tips for our date, but I told him I was on it and he apologized for interrupting it." Naruto lied smoothly.

"I see..." Renka said and grabbed Naruto's arm, "Well come on I want to walk around a little more before heading back." she said and forced Naruto to walk at her pace. Naruto of course continued to smile at the girl pulling his arm trying to enjoy the experience further but couldn't help this feeling itching at the back of his mind.

"_Hope whatever Thor was calling about wasn't too important."_

(Scene Change, Thor's Location)

The Seven Fist hung up his cell phone quietly, "Good luck my friend. If anyone deserves to have a little romance in his life it's you. After all I should be able to handle things myself."

The massive sumo quietly turned inside his massive arena, now face to face with Kenichi Shirahama and the bulk of the Shinpaku Alliance.

Quickly tossing aside his cell phone, the thunderous warrior prepared himself for a fight with his aura burning bright.

"Sorry about that I had to make a quick call. " As he spoke his voice grew more thunderous as he prepared to make his stand against his opponent, "Now Shinpaku Alliance lets see how well you match against, THE POWER OF A SUMO."

**(Ninth Fist Chapter End)**

_**Done, Man that took way longer than I originally anticipated and for that I deeply apologize. However, due in part to all the stuff with school and tests, along with the face I've never written a romance chapter or anything relating to romance I hope you can forgive me for the longass wait. So yeah Naruto and Renka's first date, admittedly I feel it could have gone better but again for my first try I think it turned out okay. Is it perfect, no but even so I think it was pretty well done and I hope you guy enjoy it as well, believe me I rewrote the thing quiet a few times just to get it down so it wasn't easy.**_

_**Special shout out goes to: **__**Engineer4Ever, **__**Helped me out a lot with some of the romance so thanks for that man. If you guys have the time check his stories out as well including **__**Every Detective Has Their Shadow. **__** A Naruto x Detective Conan story challenge that I came up with and he accepted, really entertaining.**_

_**Anyway I'm gonna try to work on Shinobi of the Patch and maybe Oracion Eight along with another idea I have so hopefully they won't take as long to write. **_

_**Well that's all I have to say for now but before I go here's a little present for all my viewers.**_

**(Omake: Family Connections)**

"Hehe, come on you guys, just a few more blocks and we'll reach Thor's arena and then we'll show them the fury of the Shinpaku Alliance."

"_SHINPAKU, SHINPAKU!_"

The sounds of Nejima's bostrious and loyal supports rang through the night air and were only match by the equally loud groaning of the groups supposed _Commanders._

Kenichi walked alongside Takeda and Ukita, both of whom didn't seem all that enthuasized by their comrades banter or cheering.

"Jeez, how'd we let that alien freak rope us into this crap. Isn't walking right into a Ragnarock base just begging for trouble." Ukita despite being the biggest of the group was voicing the most concerns that were held by the others.

Takeda of course didn't share his friends fears and just kept his normal confiedence, "Relax Ukita its not like just the three of us are fighting after all, not to mention are little spy master said he has a plan for dealing with Thor so there's nothing to worry about." His word's didn't seem to fully reach his friend and seemed like he needed more coaxing

"Look if all goes bad then we'll just use Neijima as a human shield."

The sunglasseswearing Judo fighter perked up and even got into the spirit of chanting along with the others. Takeda smirked at his friend's renewed enthusiasm but paused when he saw Kenichi falling behind with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yo Kenichi, everything okay man?"

The disciple quickly exited his daydream like state and turned his attention to his boxing ally, "Huh, yeah I'm fine Takeda, just something on my mind is all."

Curious the boxer decided to inquire, "and what's got you so baffled?"

Kencihi then asked in one simple question, "Where exactly does Neijima manage to dig all this info up from. I mean I know he says he has a spy network but how could he get so much info on someone like Thor."

Before Takeda could answer Kenichi quickly found Neijima near his face with a sinister smile present.

"Let's just say, I've got a cousin whose a master when it comes to information retrieval."

(Scene Change)

"Huh, looks like I got an email from Haruno. Heh, guess the information I lent him came in handy after all."

The Individual in the shadows paused for a moment before breaking out into a massive fanged grin when he read the email completely and saw his cousins plan.

"Kekekekekekeke…..Facing Ragnarock huh!"

(Deep Breath)

"RIP THEIR HEADS OFF! YAH-HA!"

_**Can you figure out the cousin's identiy, if so Good for you and if now…Then this joke won't make nearly as much sense. Anywya hope you enjoy and stick around for the next Ninth Fist, till then Agurra out!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_Hello everyone, Agurra of the Darkness here with the long awaited next chapter for Ninth Fist. I apologize heavily for making you guys wait so long but I wanted to work on some of my other stories and get my new story The Thirteenth User off the ground. Regardless I'm going to try to keep this story going and more importantly try to update it a little more frequently so you guys don't have to keep waiting so damn long for me to update it again. For now though I hope you will sit back and enjoy this chapter. _

_**Important Note: Just want to Say that I'm sorry this particular update took so long, I just started Law School and frankly it's not easy, but I am still gonna continue writing this and my other stories. Can't promise they will come out any time soon but I will continue so please don't stop reading just cause they take a while.**_

**Disclaimer: Agurra of the Darkness doesn't own Naruto or Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple…..Though again Wish I did…God that would rule, anyway moving on.**

**-Ninth Fist Start- **

"_How the hell did I end up in this situation?"_

Thor found himself cringing slightly as he stood outside of the main warehouse that served as Ragnarok's base of operations. Typically, the building didn't have much significance to the Seventh Fist as it was just a place for him and the other fists to gather, nothing more.

Today however, its visage seemed reminiscent of the fiery gates of Tartaros or Hel if one wanted to keep to the groups focus on Norse mythology. Though this feeling wasn't brought about by some change the building itself had undertaken, rather it was more alkaline to what Thor knew was awaiting him upon his arrival, namely pain and punishment.

The massive sumo actually found himself questioning his own masculinity at his inability to enter the building, though said feeling was overshadowed by the shame and anger he felt towards himself which was causing him so much trouble now.

Things had certainly taken an unexpected turn for the worse, depending on your point of view, for the Seventh Fist, and he had one Kenchi Shirahama to thank for it. Not long after he'd made his call to enlist the aide of fellow fist, Fenrir, Thor was all but immediately challenged to a one-on-one match with the co-leader of the Shinpaku Alliance.

By all intents and purposes, Thor could have easily rejected the offer and simply had him along with his squad of roughly twenty to thirty guys take out the small seven man group that was the Alliance. Sure, they had Kenichi and the two traitors Takeda and Ukita. However, seven against thirty, including himself, there was no way in hell they stood a chance. However, if there was one thing Thor loved more than anything, it was getting to use his sumo skills in a fight. Hell, that was the main reason he joined Ragnarok in the first place. Plus this was his chance to fight against the guy who'd been giving the gang so much grief over the last couple of months. As far as he was concerned it was a win-win situation with no strings attached.

Things really only started to get questionable however, when Shirahama proposed a wager. Namely that if he was able to beat Thor, _which anyone with eyes could see was highly unlikely,_ that Thor would quit Ragnarok for good.

Said stake actually caused Thor to hesitate at first. True enough he originally had no real love for the gang or its members, save Siegefried, yet once Fenrir had joined, he actually found himself growing somewhat closer to some of the other fists. He and Valkyrie had found themselves sparring every now and again to review what the Ninth Fist had instructed her on, and despite some of her less than flattering weight based comments, the two got along fairly well. Likewise, he actually had managed to hold down a conversation with Freya every now and again thanks in part to his growing friendship with Valkyrie. Interestingly enough, Thor even considered trying to at least talk to Hermit once, but the Sixth Fist was always missing so he never really got the chance to.

True enough the other fists like Odin, Berserker and most of all Loki, were either too anti-social or flat out colossal assholes that he didn't even bother with them. The fact of the matter was that Thor actually had something to lose should Kenichi defeat him beyond his position in the gang. Still, Thor also realized that this granted him an opportunity, namely to finally end Kenichi's interference with Ragnarok's affairs and ensure he'd never cause them trouble again. And on a slightly more selfish note, Thor also intended to all but force the young disciple to take up Sumo as well.

Thus he agreed to the wager and at first it seemed like he couldn't lose. Kenichi's skill level was to a degree higher than he originally envisioned, incorporating elements from different fighting techniques and styles. However, due to Thor's massive frame and superior physical strength, the sumo was given a massive edge against the brown haired former coward. However, that in turn lead the Seventh Fist to ultimately become a little cocky, opting to drag the fight out and brag about his own unique Sumo style instead of just crushing his opponent outright. His faith in his size advantage was ultimately turned against him as Kenichi managed to essentially throw the laws of physics and human anatomy out the window when he actually managed to lift the massive 300 pound, possibly more, warrior up at least ten feet into the air and out of the ring. Had he not been so shell-shocked something like that could happen he would have been more impressed by the boy's show of physical strength.

Granted he could have easily just said screw the bet and attacked Kenichi right then and there…however, once again, the boy. or rather his creepy little alien friend, did their homework. If there was one thing Thor valued, it was his honor. Meaning he would never under any circumstances break a Sumo's vow. Thus he intended to go through with his resignation, somewhat hoping his now former comrades in arms would understand enough to let him just leave with a slap on the wrist.

_Oh if only it was that easy. _

There in leading to the current situation as the Seventh fist now stood mere foot steps away from a seriously brutal exchange. Yet he knew he couldn't avoid it as his pride as a sumo wouldn't allow him to stay silent about something so serious, though that didn't make what he was about to do any easier or more enjoyable.

He silently released a sigh at his situation, yet remained brave in the face of his adversity. As a last act of preparation, the former Seventh fist tightened the belt on his uniform, a preemptive ritual he'd often indulge in before entering the ring to his next bout. Twas a bit of a pity that things were going to end the way they were, especially considering he never did get a chance to properly duke it out with Fenrir up to this point.

Oh well...no turning back now.

So with his head held high, the sumo pushed open the doors with his massive hands and made his way into the warehouse, unaware that a pair of eyes above a sinister grin were watching him through the darkness.

"Hehehe, well phase one is complete. Now all that's left to do is weigh my options. Should I milk this one moment for all it's worth, further build the distrust I've already sown within the ranks? Or option 2, use this little tidbit of information like a rolled up newspaper and strike my little dog until he's ready to bite? Oh there's so much potential I don't think I can stand it!"

It was fairly obvious that the figure in the shadows was Loki, the Fourth Fist, making his way out of the shadows, phone in hand. With a quick flick he opened the phone and typed in a quick five-digit code and in an instant, a picture on the screen revealed the image of Valkyrie, Freya and Berserker in the room a floor above.

Loki's smirk grew wide at the sight, actually forcing himself not to laugh, "Amazing what close to one thousand dollars worth of spy equipment and a little know-how can do." The Fourth Fist's smirk grew wider at the sight of Thor entering the room, gaining the attention of the other fists. He was quick to note of Valkyrie and, to a lesser extent, Freya giving him a fairly warm welcome.

The lack of sound annoyed him slightly, "Now I'm really starting to regret not springing for the audio feature, the one time I decide to be frugal and it bites me in the ass. Then again, who really cares, this is more entertaining then watching cable. All I need is some popcorn."

Watching continually with sick glee, his glass-covered eyes focused zeroed in on Thor's mouth, eagerly awaiting the moment the sumo dropped the proverbial bomb. Granted Loki really couldn't give less of a shit about the Sumo if someone paid him to. The guy was too loud and frankly, too simple-minded with his whole "Sumo Honor" crap. Though it certainly proved to be valuable assets in his plan and it worked better than he could have ever hoped.

Loki actually felt himself become increasingly excited as he watched Thor take his Ragnarok gloves, something he'd held close as a source of pride, and toss them to the ground in front of the other fists before slamming his fist on his chest. Obviously saying something relating again to his sumo pride. Loki barely managed out a chuckle before his eyes got considerably wider at the presence of a shadow behind the massive ex-fist.

The Fourth Fist watched with baited breath, like watching the climax of a high priced film, as the final act of this little performance drew near. His eyes watched every last muscle movement as Thor, sensing the presence behind him turned slowly, his own gaze meeting the eyes of Odin who was looking upon the ex-Seventh Fist with a look of sheer disappointment.

Loki's anxiousness grew as he awaited the final act to his excitement. And it came..**Fast and Hard.**

Beyond what his eyes could follow, Odin struck his ex-comrade hard in his massive frame. The blows actually left indents in the sumo's thick hide, lifting him off the ground several feet in the air for a matter of three to four seconds before he hit the ground with a solid thud. A small cough of blood and anguish escaped his lips upon his impact.

Loki had to cover his mouth to keep from squealing in pure delight at the spectacle before him. Truly it was a scene he'd been hoping for and paid off in full. Yet the true prize was the genuine look of shock on Valkyrie's face and the mild facial reaction from Freya.

Loki had been all too aware of the growing bond between the other fists, and knew that it would become problematic if not dealt with. After all if they got too chummy, they could've easily banded together to not only throw a wrench into his plan. but also give him a massive ass kicking the likes of which he'd never seen or felt before so it was satisfying to see that problem quickly subside. The looks on their faces pretty much spoke it all.

His grin growing ever more, he turned his attention to the building itself. He shut his phone, returning it to the confines of his pocket along with his hands, and then casually strolled towards the scene he'd just witnessed.

With another dark chuckle and a borderline sadistic look on his face, the Fourth Fist eagerly made his way through the doorway, "Might as well get in on the fun. After all, can't have the others think I'm not a team player, right?"

Loki's laughter grew in volume as he made his way up the stairs, the only other sound being heard were the violent lashing sounds of fists and feet colliding with flesh whilst grunts of pain followed each blow like the strike of a piano key.

Truly it seemed as though all the pieces were falling to place for Loki's plan to succeed…at least at first glance. For the Fourth fist regrettably, along with all those present in the immediate area, remained blissfully unaware of another pair of eyes currently locked upon the building. The calm yet almost bored smile on the wearer's face was worn as said wearer looked upon the gang's base, able to easily see everything that was going on with hawk-like precision.

"So this is the group that Ogata's been helping to form all this time. Heh, not a bad bunch I suppose...at least for a bunch of people who don't know what it means to reach to the skies." He spoke the last words with a slight scoff in his voice, yet still maintained a strangely mirthful tone that made his comment seem almost pleasant despite the obvious insult.

The stranger quietly stood up from his position as he took another glance through the window with his keen sight, actually holding his hand above his eyes to block out the light as he was trying to get a better view. Taking a slight glance at a photo in his other hand he gave one final scan of the room before letting out a sigh, "Figures. Travel all those hundreds of miles across the ocean and the guy I'm looking for isn't even around." His disappointment though only lasted for a minute at with he turned his attention to the city behind him, taking in a deep breath as he looked upon the endless sea that was the heavens above.

"Guess I shouldn't be complaining. After all, it gives me an excuse to stretch my wings while I scan the city for him. Should be fun."

And with that the stranger vanished into the wind, flowing towards the city, whist one person was currently unaware that he was being hunted, but for what purpose he would have to learn soon.

_(Scene Change-Unknown Location)_

The sound of footsteps resounded down a long narrow hallway as a familiar face made his way through the otherwise empty room, his normally jovial face marred with the look of annoyance and slight frustration.

"He'd better have a damn good explanation for this or so help me." The words were spoken with a heavy taste of bitterness, as the man in question quickly made his way to a rather large double door.

His pace was quick, not even slowing by a single step despite closing the gap between the doors as he drew closer and closer to his target. Naturally one would expect any sane person to stop briefly before opening a door, especially a rather large and heavy looking set of double doors seemingly made of solid iron.

Sadly. the man in question didn't even attempt to slow down as he quickly grew closer until he was merely three feet away. Without even blinking, the man leaped a few feet in the air before raising his right leg up to about his chin before unleashing a powerful front thrust kick. The assaulting limb was actually embedding his foot into the door before the sheet of thick iron caved inwards and was knocked off its hinges. The piece of iron was sent like a bullet into the room, sadly heading directly for a person currently seated in the room's center at a simply wooden desk, eyes directed on some form of paperwork.

The seemingly would-be assassin made no attempt to warn the man of the oncoming projectile. The over-sized projectile seemed like it would assuredly collide with the man.

However, in an instance that seemed all but invisible to the eyes, the seated man managed to move his hand out from behind the desk and catch the projectile with the simplest of ease, holding it in the air as if it were mere paper. His fingers dug deeply into the seemingly unbending iron, leaving deep impressions whilst the man's attentions remain glued to his work, actually acting as if none of the preceding events occurred.

Without so much as a word, the man at the desk quietly set the papers he was reading down. Tension would have been felt heavily in the air surrounding the two, though he never released the iron door clenched in his hand.

Quietly, he raised his head to look at the man who dared to attack him. His piercing eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, which had lenses in the shape of triangles, yet the gaze could be felt by any who would be found in said room. The two stared at each other for several seconds before the seated man spoke in a cold and calm voice, "And to what, do I have the pleasure of addressing your presence Sol? Was said matter of such importance that you felt it necessary to tear my door from its hinges?"

He tossed the door in hand a few feet before him for emphasis on the actions of the now addressed Sun God who was looking at the man with his harsh gaze, yet he remained unaffected.

"You know very well exactly why I'm here Akira. Even though I know you and I have never exactly been able to see eye to eye on things, I thought we at least had enough mutual respect between each other that we wouldn't be willing to go behind the other's back, particularly when it came to our disciples."

The now named Akira, simply continued to stare at the Capoeria master, his expression completely frozen in place without a single hint of a reaction, unaffected by the man's words. "And by that you mean what exactly? I thought I made it clear when you first returned that I had absolutely no interest in your disciple, Sol."

Even though his tone contained no hint of falsehood, Sol didn't seem to accept the response, actually becoming more annoyed by the man's lack of interest, "I was referring to your pupil Akira. I made it very clear to you and the other Fists of Shadow to keep themselves and their students away from mine until I said otherwise." He paused for a moment before continuing, "And yet I learn not long after that a certain Karate Master's little would be assassin just happened to hear about my disciple currently staying in Japan and then decided to go on a little joy ride to "_See how well he flies."_"Akira actually raised his eyebrow a centimeter at the sight of Sol using air quotes to emphasize the last part of his sentence before crossing his arms under his chin.

"So the matter in question pertains not to me, but rather my disciple? I fail to see how his decisions can be consider an act of betrayal on my part."

The Capoeria master all but growled at the man's lack of emotion and seriousness in his response, actually stomping his foot deep into the hard stone floor, "As the boy's master it's your duty to monitor his actions to ensure he doesn't do something stupid, or in the case of attacking my student, give me some kind of warning or TELL HIM NOT TO GO!" His fury remained mild though his foot continued to dig deeper into the black stone floor, massive cracks growing from all sides like a spider's web.

"And the fact that it's your disciple above all things is what makes it the most unbelievable. If it were Alexander, Ogata or especially that bastard Silcardo, I would believe it. You however, are the last person whose own student I would have expected this kind of stunt from, that is what's makes me so angry and why I feel you went behind my back Akira."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two yet Sol's heated glare remained. With the briefest sigh the Karate master of Yami quietly stood up from his desk, standing his full height, arms crossed behind his back.

He quietly stepped several steps away form his desk, his gaze never leaving the angry Capoeria master. "Your anger is not unwarranted. Given how long it's taken you to find an individual you consider worthy to teach, I imagine you'd like to avoid him suffering as much damage as possible. Especially with what happened between him and Sougetsu not to long ago."

Sol again narrowed his eyes at the manner in which Akira described his relationship to Naruto. Made it almost sound like he viewed the boy as a simple project or a pawn that could easily be replaced, a viewpoint that sadly many of his comrades held. Though he wasn't wrong about him being somewhat overprotective, of course considering the boy's previous experience with the Drunken Master, it was perfectly understandable.

Akira kept his back turned to Sol, his attention still focused on him however, "Though, one thing you've forgotten Sol is that it's been well over a decade since we last saw you. Things have long since changed since then and you are still in the dark about certain matters." His tone, despite the implications, was obviously not meant to insult the master, but rather give him a subtle message hidden within the words, which he easily picked up on.

"You concerning the members of YOMI…Well I'd be lying if I said I was well read on about yours or the other's students." The Sun master actually scratched his head and turned his face slightly, embarrassed at his lack of Intel, "Honestly I figured if I was going to keep you guys in the dark about my disciple until the time came, the least I could do was offer the same courtesy."

"Exactly my point." Akira spoke firmly, finally turning to face Sol eye to eye, "And it's for that reason you shouldn't be so quick to assume I can easily reign over my disciple's actions." His tone when referring to his disciple was almost described as containing a slight hint of exhaustion in his voice, something Sol figured was impossible.

It actually made him subtract some of his previous aggression towards his comrade, though just a little. "I take it he's quiet a handful then?"

Akira merely responded by pinching the bridge of his nose while huffing out slightly, "Sol you have no idea. While he's loyal to a fault and follows my orders without question, when he's given time to himself or decides to do things his own way he tends to be…_passionately_ straight forward."

Sol just stared at Akira, his eye brow raising as he tried to process the somewhat cryptic message given to him, though it didn't take long to figure it out, "So basically when he doesn't have any type of business relating to YAMI he basically…."

Akira just nodded, "Once he sets his sights on something of interest to him, nothing short of my direct orders will pull him away from whatever prey he's chasing."

Sol actually felt his shoulders slouch slightly, now better aware of the situation, not that it did him much good as it was fairly obvious that nothing he did was going to keep this kid and Naruto from running into each other if what Akira said was any indication.

Letting out a slight sigh he decided to make one last question concerning his student's next opponent, "So this student of yours, I heard he's something of a protégé. His name what was it…"

Akira quietly sat in his seat, "His name is Sho Kano, and you are correct, in many respects he is the epitome of perfection in regards to the martial arts. His skills and abilities are eclipsed by none of those residing within YOMI and was personally chosen to the Successor of the One Fist, Nine Shadow, having been personally taught by each of us in our respective styles…except yours of course."

Sol quietly digests what he'd been told and despite his best efforts couldn't help but shake uneasiness which gather in the pit of his stomach. True he'd trained Naruto well up to this point and even if he'd never met this disciple of Akira's, he figured the kid wasn't stupid enough to try anything too extreme. After all Akira knew what Sol was capable of and the consequences should he or his disciple cross him. Still it was bad enough to simply face a member of YOMI, but one who was trained by all the masters, save himself. Well…

"_Looks like Naruto's about to be getting his next lesson in combat. Wonder how well he'll manage against this opponent." _

_(Scene Change-Gekirin)_

A loud sneeze rung throughout the bustling restaurant coupled with the sounds of various plates striking against each other as if being juggled in the air. Thankfully, they weren't accompanied by the sounds of loud crashes, bits of shards ringing as they collide with the ground and fly in every direction.

Instead, the sight was merely of Naruto trying his best to keep at least twenty dirty plates stacked on top of each other in each hand, a nervous sweat dropping from his brow while a faint trail of snot dripped from his nose. Defiantly not the most flattering expression to have on one's face, especially in the company of others.

"Hope who ever is talking about me at least has something good to say. Bad enough I almost break all the dishes, don't need someone badmouthing me in god knows where to boot." The blonde quickly headed back to the kitchen with the plates, setting them down so as to avoid another potential hazard. Unfortunately in his rush he failed to realize that there was another hazard in the kitchen that he would most likely end up facing, far worse than broken dishes….Shokatsu's after date comments.

"That was pretty impressive out there Naruto, tell me were you as quick on your feet during you date with Renka or did you just continue onward and make a complete ass out of yourself?" The blonde felt the need to keep a forced smile on his face at the comment, Hakubi pretty much ordering no more violence in the establishment, not after all the brawls Naruto had been in and the property damage he wracked up.

"Least I can get a date with an actual girl. Last I checked the closest female anything you've touched in the last year are the chickens." He managed to state the comment with a straight face and tone, subtly mocking the cook's obvious inability to have any kind of contact with a woman.

Shokatsu actually slammed down the knife he was holding so hard it cut through the board at the blondes retort, doing his best not to toss it at his co-worker or further damage the kitchen equipment. Granted he was a lot more frustrated not at the comment itself, but rather how accurately it described his dating life…or lack thereof. True he was a great cook and an even better marital artist, but in terms of skill in the art of dating...let's just say he came up pretty short.

He was slowly beginning to feel tempted to just kick the blonde in the face for reminding him of such a thing. Thankfully, Ryu managed to make his way in to defuse the situation...by smacking the both of them upside the head.

"I can't leave you two alone with each other for more than a few seconds with issuing each other mental death threats can I?" The question was of course rhetorical, but yet the glare the two were sharing with each other essentially signified he was right.

Not wanting another conflict to break out Ryu quickly shoved a blank set of order sheets and a pen in Naruto's hand before pointing to back to the main dinning area, "Look, put your plans aside for now, Naruto. We've got a lot of customers out there and I need you to take some of the orders. Start with table 5." He then turned his attention to the still glaring Shoukatsu, "And if you've got the time to glare then you've got time to do your job, get back to cooking already."

Grumbling at being ordered, the cook slowly returned to his work while Naruto made his way out to continue his task. Though not before almost bumping into Renka, moving rather brisky with an obvious frown on her face. The young girl seemed clearly frustrated and annoyed by something and the blonde felt compelled to ask, having stopped moving, but the sound of Ryu clearing his throat pretty much signaled the blonde to get his job done.

Granted he did offer him a slight glance, indicating he'd see what the problem was. With a half hearted nod, the ex-ninja resumed his work while Ryu turned his attention to Renka who practically slammed several of her order slips next to Shoukatsu, actually causing the cook to jerk back like a frightened deer. The action caused Ryu's eyebrow to shot up rather quickly and compelled him to take action before he'd find himself stopping one conflict only to get caught up in another.

"So Renka, any particular reason you're abusing the paper and scaring Shoukatsu out of his apron or are you just having a moment?" The comment was meant simply to break the ice, but Ryu immediately regretted his comment as he quickly had to jerk his neck back almost seven inches to avoid a backhand to the face.

Renka, having almost assaulted her co-worker, clearly didn't look the least bit happy, huffing rather angrily with her fists shaking and veins forming on her face. It was fairly obvious she was pissed about something and was on a hair trigger which, for someone with her skills, was not healthy for anyone in the immediate area.

Though Ryu still figured he had to try, mainly because Renka still had a job to do. Her attitude problems be damned. Of course he tried to be a bit more delicate and by that, it meant being a complete wuss since an angry Renka could easily kick his ass.

"Uh, everything okay there Renka? You seem a little bit upset." The black haired kung fu user chose his words wisely and silently gulped whist awaiting her response, partially preparing himself to counter her next potential anger induced attack.

Said action seemed well merited as the girl in question slowly raised her still shaking right fist, clearly preparing for some kind of motion. She also seemed somewhat blind to Ryu who was silently digging his heels in, bracing himself for what was surely to come. However, the blow itself never came to him, Renka opting instead to simply grabbing her head with both hands and pulling her hair slightly in severe frustration, clearly holding back a scream.

The action was fairly short and seemed like pretty much the girl was venting, but Ryu still opted to keep his guard up encase of a backlash. Eventually the hair pulling phase subsided and Renka finally seemed to calm down….at least to where she wasn't shaking and didn't seem ready to kill the next thing that moved.

Thankfully, Renka quickly put that feeling at ease by offering Ryu a somewhat calm, apologetic smile to her co-worker, though it was still obviously somewhat strained, "Heh sorry about the little freak out Ryu. Didn't mean to scare you and Shoukatsu so badly."

Both Ryu and Shoukatsu actually cringed at being somewhat called out on being afraid of a girl who was a few years younger than they were. Granted it was 100% true the two were close to pissing themselves, but they still had their pride as men to defend which led to Ryu coughing lightly as he tried to _Toughen Up _his voice, "Scared? We weren't scared. Just felt you need some space to blow off some steam is all, preferably without breaking any of the kitchen equipment or someone's bones."

The comment actually caused Renka to somewhat regress to her aggressive state, clenging her fist in anger, "OH, believe me I fully planned on doing some bone breaking, among other things." The girl spoke those last words with a sadistic smile on her face that once again made Ryu and Shoukatsu want to run for the hills.

Though the two managed to break out of their little freight fest as they noticed Renka's anger was clearly not focused at them but rather beyond the kitchen door. Not wanted to be kept in suspense and frankly wanting to all but shot the elephant in the room dead they both asked the obvious question.

"Just what the heck has you so pissed off Renka?"

Rather than answer, she simply pointed beyond the doors causing the duo to make their way over and look through it. Eyes darting from table to table to attempt to find the person the girl was pointing at. You'd think spotting someone they had no information on in a huge restaurant would be difficult right?

Wrong.

Thanks in part to Naruto, the restaurant had gained an infamous reputation for being rather violent to unruly customers. Anyway stupid or cocky enough to try and pull anything unseemly would end up leaving with their teeth coming out their nose. Of course that didn't stop the occasional overconfident jackass from showing up to cause trouble. So really all they had to do was look for someone that stood out amongst the crowd as both a fighter and a guy who clearly was looking to get attention.

The search took all of about a hundredth of a second before they spotted, quiet possibly, the attention grabbing guy in the entire restaurant.

He was currently seated at one of the nearby tables, one eye lightly skimming over a menu laid out in front of him, though he didn't seem all that interested. Really didn't seem surprising considering the way the guy looked. Standing around close to six feet, he was a well-built man with long, light-blue hair that hung in a ponytail down to his waist and had a pretty boy face that would make any girl swoon. Blue seemed to be his favorite color as he was dressed in a mostly blue jacket with a red left sleeve along with a pair of blue pants and shoes. He also seemed to have a clear fondness for birds if the golden eagle necklace or blue bird wing tattoo under his left eye were any indication. Speaking of his eyes, they were the oddest thing about the boy, as his right eye was a light shade of ice blue while his left eye was a fiery red.

Overall, he clearly wasn't your run of the mill customer and stood out like a broken thumb. Clearly the guy wasn't afraid of being watched, especially considering practically every teenage girl and some older women were eyeballing him from every direction.

Ryu scarcthed his head still somewhat puzzled by Renka's anger, "Okay, I see some pretty boy getting eyed by ever person with two XX chromosomes in the restaurant...save for you of course...and you're mad at him because?"

Renka stared on for a moment, obviously trying to keep her composure, "I had to take the guy's order and figured if his looks were anything to go by, he'd be the type of guy to try and make a pass at me. Not that I'd be interested anyway. Still I tried to get the guy's attention, but the lousy jerk didn't even hear a word I said."

Ryu nodded somewhat, slowly pieceing things together, "Okay I can see how that would be annoying, but if I recall you and Naruto went through the exact same scenario." He then broke out in a smirk, "And now not even a few months later you're already going on dates with each other. Probably won't be long before you start kissing and…."

The sound of loud clanging resounded as Ryu had a metal serving tray smacked against his right knee, causing him to shut up while Renka looked at him with a sinister smile.

"Anyway, after a few more attempts I actually considered just telling the guy to leave and finally he reacted...by shooting his mouth off." As she thought about his specific words, the young girl's fist tightened considerably to the point where it seemed close to bleeding.

"When I asked the guy why he'd been ignoring me the only thing he said was he didn't hear any words, only the _annoying sound of a mindless insect buzzing in his ears." _Renka actually attempted to use air quotes for the last part while speaking in a slightly deep voice with a condescending tone before pointing to the forced smile she had on her face while speaking, "And to top it all off the guy actually said ever last word with this same shit eating grin on his face, like it was some kind of compliment."

Her eyes again drifted to the window of the kitchen zeroing in on the stranger, whose eyes had now turned attention away from the menu and solely focused on the various patrons in the restaurant, clearly looking upon each individual without a hint of interest almost as if he was staring at a blank wall. The sight of this caused Renka to become even more frustrated, "Just look at the grin on his face, cocky sonuva bitch thinks he's just above everyone here. I ought to…"

"Oh, you'll do what Renka?"

The bluenette felt a slight shiver go down her spine at the familiar tone of Master Hakubi who somehow managed to sneak into the kitchen. He gazed at the girl with his usual friendly gaze, yet the girl could literally feel his eyes peering into her behind the thick glasses on his face.

However, she managed to shake the feeling off thanks in no small part to the all powerful force of righteous female fury….though it was toned down since she was still scared of Hakubi.

She pointed at the table of the man who insulted her, mustering up a weak glare, "Come on Master Hakubi. The guy at that table is a total prick, and I'm not just saying that because he insulted me. Just the way he looked at me, at everybody, like he thinks we're almost invisible or insignificant. It's frustrating"

Hakubi merely looked at Renka for a moment before looking to the boy at the table, his eyes widening for a moment before quickly narrowing as he sensed the aura surrounding the boy. _"I never expected one of __them__ to show up here of all places. It's far to soon for them to be making any type of attempt on us and I don't sense any master class fighters in the area. I guess the boy is on his own, but for what reason?"_

The old man reflexively stroked his beard for a moment whilst Renka and the others watched as the wheels in his head continued to turn. _"I can't very well have any kind of conflict arising here. If I raise my hand against the boy it'd be only a matter of moments before word reaches his master and I fear the desolation that would bring to this place." _Hakubi made a quick glance at Renka, still huffing slightly in frustration at her inability to strike against her verbal assaulter.

"_For now, it's best I keep the situation from becoming too volatile and spiraling out of control. It's best to just maintain the peace and hope that nothing goes a miss." _

Hakubi then calmly turned to Renka with a more managerial expression than his usual grandfatherly one, "Renka, even if said man has insulted you, you need to remember that he is still a customer and unless he actually threatens you with harm you can't start a fight with him. Martial Arts are for protecting, not for settling a petty argument, understood?"

The young female fighter seemed to deflate at Hakubi's response, her hair loops actually dropping in response as well, meriting a chuckle out the old master. "You shouldn't let things like that bother you so much Renka, especially considering the more positive experiences you have day by day."

She seemed to perk up at the master's words, though his eyes gained a particular gleam, "Which reminds me, you never told me how you date with Naruto went last night. Any progressions in the contact area I should know about?"

In a manner of seconds Renka's face exploded in color, before twisting her neck at inhuman speed to a nearby wall, "Oh look the time, need to get back out there and serve the other customers. Later."

Nothing was left but a speed trail as she darted back outside, though obviously making attempts to avoid contact with her fellow bluenette.

The dust trail she created was the sight the subject of her's and Hakubi's conversation caught a glimpse of as he was taking an order from another table. "Huh, Renka seems even more high strung than usual, wonder what's got her so bent out of shape."

He paused for a minute before thinking back to the rather enjoyable night he spent with said girl not to long ago. _"I wonder if I might have done something last night that upset her, I mean I'm not exactly a dating expert but I thought I handled things pretty well…"_

The blonde continued to muse over his thoughts as he approached the next table, not even paying much attention to the one seated.

"_Probably should talk with Hakubi about how things went once I'm done here. He does seem to know a bit more about dating then you'd think." _

With his solution found the blonde turned his attention to the patron at the table or rather the menu he was holding which obstructed the blondes view. Honestly Naruto really didn't care what the guy looked like so it wasn't really an issue, even if it was a little rude.

Quickly taking out his order sheet and pencil, he cleared his throat out to try and get the hidden individual's attention, "Alright, welcome to Gekirin. What can I get for you today?"

The patron didn't respond at first, though it was hard to tell if he was simply ignoring the blonde or didn't quite hear him. Thankfully he did respond before any assumptions could be made.

"Difficult to say really, I've heard quite a great many things about some of the chicken dishes here, yet at the same time I find it difficult to even consider eating a creature with wings, small as they are."

His response was rather unusual as it got the blonde to raise an eyebrow slightly at the comment as the man went on talking about the different food choices, "Hmm, seems like I can't quite make up my mind. Any suggestions?"

Naruto actually had to restrain himself from sighing, even though he enjoyed working in Gekirin there were times the job felt like those lame-ass D-ranked missions from back in the village, where trained ninjas actually had to help civilians do things they were simply too lazy to do themselves. Regardless it was part of the job and at the very least this job wasn't nearly as demeaning as chasing after that damn cat Tora.

So the blonde quietly complied with his request, "To be honest I rather enjoy some of the noodle dishes. It's not quite as good as ramen, but enjoyable overall."

"So you actually prefer eating things as simple as noodles and broth? It's funny, some say you can learn quite a lot about a person from what they eat and based on what you've just told me says you're little more than a dog slurping food from a bowl."

It took a great deal of Sol's special anger management training and the added threat of an increasing bill that kept the blond from literally reach over and beating the living hell out of the man. No, instead he opted to just slightly tighten his grip on the pencil in hand while managing out a force sentence,

"Well, everyone's entitled to their opinion." The strain in the ex-shinobi's voice was evident yet he remained calm for the most part...at least until the guy followed up the comment with...

"Though I suppose being like a dog isn't so bad compared to a worthless insect, like all the others around us."

A loud snap resounded through the individual's ears, his single red eye catching sight of the eraser tip of the blonde waiters pencil fly into the air. His gaze drifted to his face, which showed a deep, hate filled frown whilst his left leg showed a furious twitch obviously wanting to unleash one of his signature kicks into the teen's face.

The blue haired patron remained completely calm, lightly setting the menu down as he placed his elbows on the table and interlocked his fingers, "Seems like dog was a rather accurate description of you. Loyal to a fault and quick to lash out when annoyed. Honestly I was expecting the service around here to be better."

Naruto litteraly had to restrain himself from shoving his foot into the mans throat, just to shut his comments up. He felt very tempted to just walk away….

"Though I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Being the disciple of the Dancing Sun God after all."

Naruto found himself frozen in place, though only for a moment. His eyes narrowing as he turned his body fully to face the stranger, his stance neutral yet ready to act at the drop of a hat.

The stranger merely chuckled at his antics, clearly not the least bit threatened, "You know your master is quite famous in the martial arts world. A legendary master of Capoeria, referred as one of the strongest men on the planet, whose might and skill are matched by a rare few. Thus his action of taking on a disciple was bound to make waves through the world, especially amongst _our _sorted ranks."

In spite of him trying to keep the conversation serious the blue haired teen kept that same placid smile on his face, acting as if they were having a normal conversation. "Of course I didn't think much of it, figured it was just a bunch of rumors. Then low and behold, the great Fighting Demon Sougetsu Ma returns from a long absence to report an encounter with said disciple and even claiming he was impressed with his skills."

Naruto continued to find his body tensing up greatly as the seemingly one-sided conversation continue, silently praying no one would pay them any mind whilst listening as the stranger continued.

"Naturally with that information in mind, I felt it was in the best interest of all parties involved to check on this new disciple for myself, see how well he holds up." He paused for a moment, his eyes clearly giving the ex ninja a mental once over, "You were pretty hard to find actually, despite Sougetsu describing you as having the eyes of a demon and the fighting power of a rabid beast. Then again I doubt anyone would think to look for such a man in a relatively simple Chinese Restaurant." Again he paused, casually taking a sip of a glass of water that had been placed at the table.

Taking advantage of the pause Naruto chose to end his own silence, "I take it that means you're a part of YOMI aren't you?" He question got the teen to actually halt his drinking before gaining a smirk and lowering his glass to the table, eyeing the blond with interest.

"Huh, I take it Sol told you about us didn't he?" Naruto didn't even respond, not wishing to waste the energy with the teen, "Considering I spent six months with the guy you really didn't think he wouldn't mention it?" He spoke with a slightly agitated tone, though it only served to make the blue haired boy chuckle.

"No I suppose not, though I'd be lying if I said it didn't seem possible given how your master is known to act." He continued to chuckle at his comment. Naruto was having a hard time not agreeing with him, given how well he knew his master.

Still he felt the need to deal with one last elephant in the room, "Alright so you wanted to see me, so here I am. Now would you mind leaving, I'm not interested in getting involved with you or YOMI, so either order something or kindly take your sorry ass elsewhere. I'm really not in the mood to deal with your bullshit." Naruto managed to keep his tone relatively unhostile, but it was not easy. He already had enough problems trying to balance his life at the Restaurant with his Ragnarok identity, adding YOMI to the mix could only end badly and with the way things were going with Renka, that was the last thing he needed.

His tone however, didn't seem to upset the boy, rather he just continue to smile...it was seriously starting to creep him out.

"Now there's no need to get so bent out of shape. Even though I imagine you'll been having dealing with YOMI in the future where your membership will come into question, I didn't come here for that reason."

His eyes quickly narrowed, almost resembling a hawks as they zeroed in on the blonde with a piercing gaze, " I came here because I want to see just how good you truly are and if you're really worthy of joining us some day."

Naruto found himself somewhat scoffing at the bluenette's response, mostly because he saw it coming from a mile away. While Naruto wasn't completely familiar with YOMI as a whole since his master had little information on them himself, one thing Sol made pretty clear was that each member was trained to do one thing, Fight.

It was thoroughly programmed into each of them, not unlike his own ninja training and they were always looking for a fight with somebody. Granted he could still understand it as part of a fighters natural desire to test their skills and grow stronger which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Regardless he had no interest in getting involved with the teen.

However, he didn't even get his first words out as the YOMI teen quietly spoke, eyes seemingly targeting every person in the establishment, "You know in spite of my comment, this establishment actually is rather nice. Friendly staff, somewhat decent food and most of all, its protected by some rather impressive martial artists." His tone was still fairly mirthful, yet Naruto could tell his tone would change drastically in a matter of seconds indicating his true intentions.

"I myself in spite of my skills wouldn't be foolish enough to attack this place on my own of course. After all, you have a master present and I'm just a disciple, it would hardly be fair." As if a lever had been pulled, the teen's eyes suddenly became serious and sinister, showing a small trace of delight at what he was going to say.

"Then again I wonder how the higher ups of the organization would react if I told them about said master's connections to those in Ryozanpaku. I imagine things would get rather _messy _around here don't you think?"

A resounding slam was heard by all, several faces turned drastically to see the table Naruto and the stranger stood at. The blonde's palm placed on the table, striking the wood with enough controlled force to create several cracks and ripples in the wood. Many of the patrons actually turned away in fright at the vicious look in the blonde's eyes, yet the blue haired boy across from him looked on with excitement.

"Now those are the eyes of the demon I was hoping to see."

Taking the blonde's action as a clear response to his challenge he promptly stood up, acting as if the entire excursion hadn't happened, calmly waving to all those around that there was nothing to fear. "I'll be giving you the location of our battle sometime tomorrow, so best prepare yourself. Also I trust you'll keep it a secret of course." With curt nod, he made his was past the blonde, his palm still planted firmly on the table, yet people could see his pressure on the table increasing as the wood groaned under the weight.

The strange teen made it to Naruto's side, inches away from him before offering one last smile, only serving to infuriate him further, "By the way I forgot about proper introductions, forgive me for that." With a slight nod of his head and upper body in a mock bow-like fashion he spoke in a mockingly regal manner, "I am Sho Kano, Disciple of Akira Hongo, The God Hand, and I look forward to our fight."

He took two more steps past the blonde before turning to him again, his confident smile once again adorning his face, "By the way, you really should lighten up my friend. Maintaining a positive attitude is important and you could really use some cheering up."

With those words he left through the doors whilst leaving Naruto standing again in place, his hand pushing again on the table. There was great deal of silence amongst the patrons, none wanting to say anything towards the blonde, mainly for fear of setting him off.

The tension built as the blonde slowly straightened his posture before calmly removing his palm from the table, a large series of cracks emanating from the point of contact. Naruto simply stood there for another moment, eyes focusing intently on the doors from a moment, mind processing everything that had just taken place and…..quietly dusted his hands off before offering the vast majority of patrons one of his larger grins.

"Sorry about that folks, just a little disagreement, nothing to worry about...just go back to your food alright." He spoke in a tone that clearly attempted to maintain a degree of composure, but still contained traces of strain. Thankfully for him none of the patrons could pick up on that subtle information and took the request in kind, acting as if the excursion hadn't happened.

With the disaster avoided, the current Ninth fist made his way back to the kitchen, silently kicking himself for almost losing control of his anger that time. True Naruto had more than once let his temper fly in the restaurant, but that had always been with Chinese Mafia members so it seemed perfectly warranted. However, his secretive behavior already had Renka and Hakubi suspicious of him and starting a fight with some random stranger would only serve to elevate things further. And yet, _"That guy knew all the right buttons to push just to try and get a rise out of me and here I thought Loki was the only blue haired prick I'd have to deal with." _

Releasing an annoyed sigh, the blonde rubbed the back of his head as he reached the doors, _"Then again it's not like Sol-sensei didn't warn me about this kind of thing happening. Still coming at me in the open like that really complicates things, just hope I can this under wraps for now." _

He silently entered the kitchen and was quickly confronted by Renka, thankfully however, she didn't seem the slightest bit suspicious of his prior actions, if anything she seemed a bit understanding. "So I take it you had an encounter with our newest patron and his colorful commentary?" She asked quietly, looking upon him with interest whilst Naruto was mentally scratching his head at the question.

Renka saw his confusion and chose to be a little clearer, "I meant that blue haired jerk you almost went bouncer all over. Was actually kind of hoping you'd knock him down a notch, that arrogant dick." Naruto found himself sweat dropping at the humorously angry look on her face coupled with a tightly clenched fist.

Silently thanking the world for Renka's thin skin whilst also jotting down insulting Renka as another reason to kick Sho's flyboy ass, the blonde quickly started picking up serving trays yet still focusing on his friend/potential girlfriend, "Believe me Renka I would've loved to leave a nice dirty boot print all over that jerk's face, but I also don't feel like owing Hakubi anymore money or causing another scene. Besides I can always knock him senseless another time."

His comment calmed the bluenette down enough and she smirked slightly at the idea of Sho getting a severe ass kicking. Actually led to a bit of chuckling amongst the pair, which merited small grins from the others in the kitchen, of course they still went about their tasks.

Yet all kidding aside the blonde still felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, musing over Sho's little threat and challenge, _"No telling when or where I'll run into that guy again. Would've been a bit more helpful if he at least gave me an idea of how he's gonna contact me…Then again considering the way he was acting, I'm guessing being completely straight forward isn't his way of thinking. Still, I'm worried about when he'll make his move, especially with Loki and his little favors popping up who knows when."_

It was these thoughts that continued to plague the blonde's mind for the remainder of the day, actually causing him to zone out from time to time. Yet thankfully not enough to rouse anyone's attention, as he continued through the day and into the night.

_(Time Skip- Next day)_

"And here I thought I was dealing with someone who was actually smart. Instead I get another blue haired wiseass who seems to get his kick from jerking me around like a dog on leash. I honestly can't wait to kick this guy's ass." Those were the words Naruto found himself mumbling as he quietly walked along the streets of the more rural areas of the city.

Knowning that Sho's challenge would come today, he quickly asked for the day off at Gekirin, which Hakubi allowed though it was obvious to the blonde that he suspected something. Then again Hakubi was a master class fighter with skills almost equal to the Ryozanpaku masters. Even so, there wasn't a whole lot he could do about the situation given that Sho had outright threatened the restaurant with the full force of his organization's power.

The thought of said action caused the blonde to briefly imagine the restaurant in ruins and all the people inside it either wiped out or buried underneath rubble. It was a scene all too reminiscent of the scene he came upon in his home's darkest hour. The once proud Leaf village, a paragon of strength and willpower throughout the ages, nothing more than a barren crater.

Worst part of the scenario was that in that situation the person doing the wrecking, at the very least, was attempting to achieve peace, misguided and twisted as it was. From what Naruto had been told by Sol about Yami, it was basically an organization composed entirely of martial artists who followed what was known as Satsujuken (**Killing Fist)** who devoted themselves to proving that their way of martial arts was the right way, i.e using Martial arts for killing.

Truthfully Naruto didn't honestly think much about the group, even though his master admitted to being a member of said group he didn't hold it against him. After all, Sol didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd go off on a causal killing spree, even if it was to supposedly show the superiority of his own martial art style. Even so being Sol's disciple was bound to come with some complications, though personally he'd been hoping that they'd just ignore him, so much for that.

"_Guess Sol's past was gonna catch up with me eventually. Well here's to hoping I can make it through this little excursion without any attention being drawn...Oh who the Hell am I kidding. There's no way I'm gonna be able to keep this a secret, sure if it was just me and Sho it wouldn't be a problem but then again…"_

"Hey Naruto, slow down would you. And stop zoning out for five minutes, I'd prefer it if we atleast talk for a little bit before you tune me out."

The blonde mentally slapped himself in the face as he turned slightly to make eye contact with one Renka Ma, currently following him having chosen to take the day off as well in order to spend more time with him. On the one hand, yes he liked the idea of spending time with his female co-worker/potential love interest. Frankly, at this point he certainly could benefit from some more positive interaction.

However, at the same time this had to be the absolute worst time for this to happen. Loki might have been a royal pain in the ass, but Sho clearly wasn't the kind of guy to screw around with. Naruto could tell just by looking in the guys eyes, sure he looked perfectly harmless but beyond the mask he held was an emotionless being who wouldn't have any problems with killing another person. Which is part of the reason why he wanted Renka to stay as far away as humanly possible, she was good but if Sho really was from YOMI, well….it wouldn't be pretty.

With a sigh the blonde continued to make his way through the streets of the more suburban areas, making small note of the quant houses surrounding him, yet his attention never strayed from the girl next to him, "You know Renka, you don't have to follow me everywhere I go. Was kinda of hoping for some time to myself to be honest."

The blue haired girl merely scofted at the remark, "Don't give me that, we barely ever get to spend a lot of time with each other outside of the resturant. Plus I figured after that little encounter you had with that jerk at the resturant you'd like have me around."

A slight flinch at the mention of Sho was all the response Renka got outo of the blonde, who she was looking upon with a keen eye. _"Something's bugging him, more than usual. Ever since he talked with that blue haired freak, it's almost like that time with Sougetsu." _

Renka found herself briefly flashing back to that rather painful experience. She herself reminded of the pain in both her ribs and legs as Sougetsu slammed her into the wall, the haunting feeling she had upon seeing Naruto hurt. Yet the worst was the chill she felt run down her spine as she recalled her friend's tonal shift, no longer fighting with the calm precision she'd seen him use to dispatch common thugs. No, in those brief moments his movements seemed primal, ferocious and down right bestial.

Sure for a moment he seemed to revert to his more welcoming persona, yet there was something unsettling about the way he acted and fought in those brief moments. And now it seemed like that side of himself was slowly making its way back to the surface, in spite of the fact Renka felt closer to Naruto, thanks in no small part to their date the day before, it was something that unnerved the girl and she feared what would happen if that side of himself resurfaced in full.

Still she tried to keep quiet about it for the most part, somewhat hoping the moment was nothing more than an isolated incident. So long as they didn't run into that guy again, things should be perfectly fine.

The pair continued to walk along the sidewalk for several more blocks, maintaining a degree of silence as they continue on their treck with no particular direction in sight. The pace continued for some time until the pair oddly enough found themselves at the edge of the forested areas near the city.

Naruto actually ended up letting out a content sigh at the sight of the wooded lands, fairly reminiscent of his home back in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Was actually pretty refreshing change of pace to be out of the city. Though at the same time he knew he couldn't let his guard down, Sho was out there somewhere and he just knew the blue haired flyboy would pop up sooner or later, question just was when and how.

"So Naruto, we gonna keep walking all day or is there an actual destination you have in mind?"

With a slight turn of the neck the former ninja simply paid the girl a fairly dry expression, his mouth completely flat and his eyes half lidded. "You know Renka, I was just planning on going for a walk by myself, didn't really have any specific location in mind and I never said you had to come with me either."

Even though his tone wasn't hostile, Renka could clearly pick up on the subtle hint he didn't want her around right now and it actually made her push back a little bit. Her face actually became somewhat withdrawn and she diverted her eyes from his not saying a word.

Inwardly Naruto actually felt like kicking himself, he didn't want to come across as hostile towards Renka, he just wanted for her to leave for now until he got things settled Sho before it spiraled out of control. Even so….

Taking another glance at Renka, the ex-shinobi he could see she had become somewhat closed off and even if it was important he still didn't want her to hate him. So with another sigh he slowly turned to face her, "Listen Renka, I'm….."

A loud screech quickly silenced his words as the pair looked up to the tree they were standing under to. Looking up the pair spoted a fairly large bird with a mixture of brown and white feathers, the brown primarily dominate covering the entire up part of its body while the white feathers remained on its underbelly. It looked to be about close to twenty inches tall with a bright yellow beak and razor sharp eyes, staring at Naruto almost like it was watching each and every skin cell on his face.

Renka meanwhile looked upon the bird with a sense of awe, "There's something you don't see everyday. Most of the time you're lucky to see normal birds around this area, but a falcon that's pretty impressive."

Naruto nodded slightly, his eyes actually trying to peer into the creatures own eyes for some reason, actually getting into a sort of stare down with the creature.

"Quite impressive creature wouldn't you say? According to most ornithologists, creatures like these are capable of seeing things from almost 30 kilometers away."

Naruto felt his eyes snap open, his body reflexively spinning as he turned to find Sho Kano, literally standing just a mere two feet away from them with a carefree smile on his face as he admired the bird above them. Naruto of course found himself looking at the teen with a calculating gaze, _"Somehow he managed to sneak up on me and Renka and I didn't even sense him coming." _His eyes narrowed as he once again could now feel that chillingly calm yet oppressive aura, all but reminding him of the bird above them….Standing there silently, watching with a keen eye, all but ready to strike.

Renka of course took a little longer to take note of the blue haired teen's presence, that being said, once she did spot him and the floodgates burst open. Mustering up a hostile glare, the bell haired girl actually got up right next to the guy without a single look of fear in her eyes, "You again, didn't we already tell you to stay as far away from us as possible or were you just not listening?"

Sho responded by….not listening and instead continuing on his monologue about the bird, "This bird in particular is the Peregrine Falcon. It's considered to be one of the most lethal predatory birds, able to reach speeds of over 120 miles per hour when in a dive. Couple that with it's impressive eyesight, sharp talons and beak as well as lighting fast reaction time…" His eyes slowly drifted from the bird to Naruto, now becoming almost identical to those of falcon, seemingly zeroing in on him like he had a bulls eye on his forehead and ensuring he had no place for escape as he spoke the next lines that were a clear go to for, "**You know what comes next."**

"Once it has its prey locked in its sights, there's no escaping it, no matter where it runs or hides."

The teen quietly lowered his arms as he fully rotated his body to face the pair, though his eyes were zeroed in solely on Naruto, paying virtually no mind to Renka. Despite the clearly fierce stare Naruto was giving him, it only served to bring the teen an even greater sense of excitement, of course that still left one minor inconvenience, "Have to say I'm a little bit surprised. I wasn't expecting you to bring your friend here with you. I figured you above all things wanted to be discrete."

Naruto's hands tightened at the last words, a brief glance at Renka whose face shifted briefly too confusion as she look at Naruto curiously causing the blonde to actually sweat a little all the while inwardly cursing Sho with ever fiber of his being.

"Discrete? Naruto what the heck is this guy talking about, you know him from somewhere or something?" Renka's obvious interest in being given a straight answer was making the blonde feel caught in a bind and he could only feel his rage towards Sho building as the blue haired teen continued to watch him with amusement.

"I'm of course not opposed to an audience if that's what you want. Personally I just figured you wanted to avoid that sort of thing if all possible."

Naruto actually felt the need to plant his foot as deeply into the ground as humanly possible, almost hoping do so would be enough to shut the blue haired teen up. At this point there were only two things he wanted, one was to knock Sho's block off and the other unfortunately required him to do something he really wished he didn't have to but…..

"Renka." His voice was silent and hollow, grabbing the girl's attention as she looked at his face, which had become somewhat blank and expressionless, yet she could feel the inner beast screaming to be set free. He offered her a single glance before quietly muttering out the words, "Leave, Now!"

Though he didn't say it with much force, Renka literally felt herself cringe at the unsettling feeling it gave her, of course that didn't stop her from responding, "Naruto, just what is going on her, you can't just expect me to leave here without giving me some kind of….."

Renka's words died in her throat as she felt an immensely unsettling aura surround her, eyes widened as her breath hitched. Terror brimmed inside of her like none she had even known, not since she'd encountered her murderous uncle had she felt such a feeling. And yet this feeling was different, it wasn't as strong, but it contained far greater ferocity, primal anger as opposed to the unending bloodlust seen by her uncle. What truly terrified her was that it was all coming from Naruto, whose eyes truly looked like they belonged on a fearsome predator, ready to lash out without a single thought. The feeling was so intense Renka almost swore she actually saw the outline of a massive canine like creature standing behind the boy.

"I won't ask again Renka, Leave NOW!"

His voice was ice cold, hints of barely restrained anger contained within it, which shook the girl to her very core. This was not the kind-hearted boy whom she'd worked along side, nor the bright and cheerful one, whom she'd only gazed on for a moment yet it was the moment in which he had forever captured her heart. This was a soulless animal, content only with satisfying its most basic instinct, to attack and kill.

Almost wordlessly the girl slowly back away from the scene, yet continued to look upon the boy with slight horror and fear before she disappeared into the forest.

Sho actually whistling at the display, "My my, you truly are just like a beast aren't you. Though I suppose it was for the best, after all little bugs like her don't belong in this."

Sho didn't have a chance to finish as he quickly jumped back to avoid a fast kick before ducking at a ninety degree angle to avoid a front kick, managing a quick glance at the tree behind him, whose trunk was literally shattered by the kick with the tree's top falling to the ground.

Of course, he still didn't show any signs of worry or fear as he evaded the attacks, still smiling casually as if nothing was happening, "A little over eager I see, not that I can blame you but we really should wait a moment to establish some ground rules don't you think?"

Naruto didn't even bother responding, rather he just took his already extended leg lifted it as high as he could before slamming it down in the form of a fearsome axe kick, determined to bury Sho in the dirt.

The kick created a massive blast of dirt and rocks and anyone watching would've assumed Naruto had made contact. However, the loud almost feral roar emanating from the blonde's throat made it pretty clear that wasn't the case.

When the dust cleared Naruto was still in place whilst Sho was nowhere to be found. Angrily ripping his leg out of the crater he laid, the blonde's eyes quickly searched for the strange teen. He didn't have to look very hard as he quickly noticed a strange shadow hanging overhead.

Unfortunately he didn't have a chance to look as his reflexes kicked into overdrive as he crouched low to the ground to avoid a fast roundhouse kick to the neck before having to literally flip his body sideways to avoid the follow up front kick.

Taking advantage of his momentum, the blonde quickly balanced himself on his left palm before using the rotation to unleashed a powerful swinging kick. Unlike before Sho wasn't fast enough to dodge it, and Naruto almost felt the urge to smirk as his foot got close to the cocky teen's pretty boy face.

A resounding smack was heard as Naruto's shoe met flesh and bone…. though not quite in the correct place.

"Huh, not too bad. Honestly there was a part of me that was concerned you wouldn't last past my first two moves. Glad to see I was wrong." Naruto frowned intensly at the sight of Sho standing there with his nonchalant grin continuing to grace his face. Though the ex-shinobi's fury wasn't so overbearing that he didn't notice his left leg, current caught in Sho's iron like grip, leaving him currently stuck on hand.

His mind quickly flashed through the events his eyes managed to catch, quietly admiring what he'd seen, _"This guy really is with YOMI. Managed to catch my kick just before it made contact with him in almost a split second and hold my leg in place in spite of my momentum. That's not just something you can do with strength alone." _

Sho just continued to watch with amusement as the capture Capoeria fighter glare at him intensely, which admittedly looked pretty silly considering he was in a one armed hand stand, but regardless, "So, how long are you going to stand like that. I imagine that's not all you've got after all. After all I imagine you want to get this over with and get back to that girl right."

In a split second Sho all but immediately regretted those words as he suddenly felt a heavy force crash against his left cheek, his eyes catching sight of his enemy's free foot embedding itself in his face.

The force of the strike was enough to force him to release his hold on his foe, who managed to straighten himself up before landing softly on his feet. Sho likewise managed to easily readjust himself despite being pushed back a few feet, blood lightly dripping down his lip whilst his cheek was dark red.

Naruto's ferocity had returned in full, Sho looking into his eyes now fully demonized looking at him like a tiger locked on its prey, "Listen to me asshole. I only came here because I knew somehow, someway I was gonna have to fight you since I seem to just be a walking magnet for manipulative blue haired pieces of shit who just seem to enjoy trying to make me into their obedient little dog."

The blonde slowly shifted into his signature Ginga stance as he began to rotate from left to right, "Apparently you people just can't help but try to fuck up everything in my life and as if my luck was bad enough already, now thanks to you I had to act like an absolute prick to Renka." His tone became more aggressive and fierce with each word as he geared up to attack.

"Now since you guys can't seem to learn anything with a heavy dosage of blunt force trauma, I'm gonna personally make it a point to stomp over every last part of you miserable body like it's pavement. So I hope you're ready for an asskicking pal, cause I'm not gonna stop until I've personally broken every square inch of your sorry ass."

Sho didn't even seem the least bit phased by the blonde's vulgar language or threats, really he just seemed completely neutral at first. For a moment he simply didn't even seem to react, though slowly his body began to shake as a light chuckling was heard. Gradually it grew louder, though not to the point where it sound maniacal or borderline sociopathic…oddly enough it sound rather content.

"My my, I knew you'd be interesting but I never imagine it would be this much fun." He took a moment to take another look at Naruto's face, his hawk like gaze mulling over every detail, "Yes, now those are the eyes of a true demon. A creature whose fury is worthy to be viewed as truly great and whose ferocity in combat is the greatest honor to face."

Without a word Sho dropped into his own stance, one Naruto felt looked vaguely familiar to one he'd seen Kenichi enter, yet it had far less blind spots and looked far more polished, the sign of a far more skilled warrior.

Sho took in a breath as his grin became larger than his face seemed to handle, yet still maintaining that same look of enjoyment and mirth.

"Come on Demon, lets see how you fly."

**-Ninth Fist End-**

_Okay again I apologize a million times over for this taking so long but again I started Law School and it's really time consuming as I have to spend at least six hours minimum doing work. Doesn't leave a lot of time for writing stories. Regardless I will try to continue on forward, especially considering how things with the manga are developing and I really want to get to the YAMI arcs. Also I won't be including a few things in this chapter because I want to get this chapter out as quickly as I could for you guys so I'll probably be adding a little more later however now I have a rather serious question to ask you. _

_**Originally I planned to have the whole fight between Sho and Naruto in this single chapter, but because I wanted to get it out to you guys after so long I decided to cut it short. Would you like me to write the rest of the fight and include it in this chapter or simply go ahead and make it the next chapter. I'm only offering this option as I want to try and make up for taking over Seven months to give you guys this update. So please let me know what you think and I will to the best of my ability comply with your request. Though I must stress that it will take a little time as I have to study up on Sho's fighting techniques as I'm not well versed in Karate and there aren't any anime scenes of him fighting. Regardless I will do my best to make the fight as awesome as I possibly can, with quite a few surprises here and there, so let me know what you would like me to do. **_

_**Okay last thing, my next update will be the next Ninth Fist chapter as I feel after waiting so long you guys deserve another update as soon as possible so no matter what you chose you will be getting a new chapter and I can all but promise it won't take Seven months to make. So I hope you look forward to it and I'll see you next time. Till then Agurra out. **_


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello everyone, it's Agurra of the Darkness and before we proceed, I have something to say to the reviewer Pffft who referred to my previous Ninth Fist chapter comment about updating before Seven Months had passed. I fully intended to live up to that promise. However, Law School in general is hard and between classes, studying atleast six hours and an hour-long commute to school it's hard to summon up the will to do any writing for fun. On top of all that I also had mid terms and have been looking for a summer job, all of which doesn't lave a lot of time for writing fanfic. So with that in mind I'd Appreciate it if you guys **_**Refrain from making any and all comments, wisecracks or any jabs at how long it took me to get this chapter out, if you would be so kind as to do so.**_ **That being said I still want to and will continue with this and my other stories, because I love to write and I love writing fanfic, just because I get to give some degree of life to my ideas and in the end that's all I really want to get out of my writing.**

**I know that's not a great excuse for leaving you guys hanging for so long and for that I do apologize. All I can promise is that I'll keep going forward with this story and hope you atleast enjoy this chapter and those that follow. Thankfully I have some days off so hopefully I can get some things out before returning to school. With that said, Ladies and Gentlemen I welcome you back to the world of…..The Ninth Fist.**

**Disclaimer…Agurra of the Darkness doesn't….You know what, screw this. Everyone knows I don't own either Kenichi or Naruto, I mean if I did I'd give Naruto a major overhaul and Kenichi, well mostly just throw in some more Capoeria. Anyway, I don't own it so lets just move on and not waste anymore time.**

**-Ninth Fist Start-**

_"Does this prick have wings on his feet or something? He's hopping all over the place."_ Naruto's rage filled thoughts roared in the depths of his mind as Sho managed to again evade another of his kicks, hopping high into the air, almost as if his entire body was weightless.

He was almost like that of a bird, both in terms of his movement and attack pattern. The blue haired YOMI member quickly rotated his body towards a nearby tree, pressing his legs into the trunk before launching off like a rocket towards Naruto, a gleeful look in his eyes.

"Come on little Demon, is this all you've got?" He quickly let loose a fast straight punch. Naruto narrowly avoiding the strike by leaning backwards only to quickly find his center of gravity broken as Sho's shifted on his right foot and lashed out with his left leg, bringing it forward to trip up Naruto's own legs.

The blonde didn't even have a chance to react or readjust as Sho continued his attack, plunging a palm strike into his opponent's chest, embedding it deep into his stomach and pushed him down to the ground. Hard.

At first, Sho smirked as his blow making contact, admittedly looking a little disappointed at how quickly his foe had been seemingly vanquished. Though, that brief instance of sorrow was replaced with elation as he caught sight of Naruto's left leg rocketing forward towards him, like a high-powered spear.

Sadly, Sho managed to respond quickly to the action. Using his left hand, he quickly positioned his palm directly over his opponent's foot, making sure his arm wasn't fully extended. Then just as both limbs made contact, the blue haired warrior bent his elbow and arm forward, seemingly pushing against the leg itself for a few moments, before fully pushing up, effectively using the momentum of the kick and his own bent arm to significantly lessen the damage of the kick and push himself high into the air.

He actually chuckled at the frustrated growl he heard his enemy make. "No need to get upset. After all, you didn't really expect it to be so easy did you?" Sho's smirk quickly grew devious, extending his left leg out fully before flipping forward, rotating his body like a wheel and building momentum as he descended upon his still grounded opponent.

In an instant, his high-speed leg struck the ground with the force of a cannon ball, creating a small fissure and explosion of dust, with bits of stone flying in every direction. The dust cleared and Sho was revealed to be standing on his feet, quietly brushing dust off of his clothing. His grin was still present as he peered through the dust cloud, seemingly unaffected by the kick.

"Glad to see you managed to dodge that one was well. Even if you can't fly like I can, I'd hope you at least have enough mobility to crawl a few feet through the dirt."

Sho's smirk grew slightly at the sound of a rage filled growl echoing through the dust cloud, "You can growl and roar all you like. Doesn't change the fact you still can't quite hit me, but please feel free to try. I'd hate to come all this way and not at least get a decent work out."

Sho's senses quickly picked up on his opponent's presence, quickly shifting to block a high kick to the face with ease before also grabbing his opponent's other leg, having attempted a follow up kick, while supporting himself on both hands.

"Your skills are still a bit rough and your overall technique needs work. Though given Sol only managed to train you for six months, I can't say I'm too surprised." Sho quickly followed up with sweep of both of Naruto's hands with a fast low kick, though he managed to avoid it, fully curling his upper body towards Sho, unleashing a fast right cross to his opponent's face.

Sho responded in kind, letting go of his opponent's legs, before using his free hand to quickly deflect the punch. The YOMI countered by letting loose a fast straight punch into Naruto's unguarded stomach. The blow itself managed to catch the Ninth Fist off guard enough for Sho to press forward with his attack, letting loose a second punch to his opponent's body, before adding in a well placed knee strike for good measure.

Sho geared up for another attack, this time with a sideways knife hand strike aimed his opponent's neck. Quickly cocking back his arm like a bowstring, he directed the lethal strike at his enemy's unguarded neck. However, before it reached, Naruto's arm quickly shot upwards from his stomach, easily blocking the strike with his forearm.

Sho smirked at bit at the action. "Still haven't completely taken the wind out of your sails yet? Well guess I'll just have to knock harder and..." Sho's comment however, quickly became muted as he sensed a violent KI emanating from his enemy.

_"Where'd this come from all of a sudden?"_ He barely had time to think or contemplate what was happening as Naruto quickly shoved Sho's arm out of his way, before bringing both of his arms back, each in a knife hand position. Sho's eyes quickly widened at the stance he'd entered, actually showing slight panic at what was happening.

Naruto however, with a look of murder in his eyes slashed both his arms together like a pair of scissors, carving through the air aiming for both sides of his opponent's skull.

**"Telefone!" (Telephone)**

Sho reacted quickly, leaning back and kicking off the ground as hard as he could. He began spinning backwards with incredible speed, narrowly avoiding the strike before landing on a nearby tree branch, actually seating himself on the perch while looking down on his frustrated opponent, his ever-present grin briefly vanishing from his face.

The sight below was something to behold as the strikes, despite not hitting anything, had enough power behind them to kick up quiet a bit of dust and wind, indicating just how much power was behind them.

Sweat dripped from his brow as he thought back to the attack, _"If that attack had hit, I probably have a concussion and ruptured eardrums to boot. Guess he decided to switch gears and take this fight seriously."_

Sho remained on his perch for the moment, not quite eager to get in so close, at least, not without doing a little intelligence gathering first. And by that, he meant to just piss his opponent off some more and distract him. That and ask some questions that had been running through his head.

Calmly standing on the branch without a care, the young teen walked across the branch, his eyes remaining trained on his opponent, "I'm curious. Based on what information I could gather, Sol dropped you off here around two to three months ago, and in that time you actually came face-to-face with Sougetsu Ma, one of YAMI's own Fists of Shadow."

Naruto's rage cooled a little, cringing slightly as he recalled the instance where Renka's drunk, estranged uncle literally punched him through a wall and laid him out good. Of course, despite that first encounter and his second conversation with the brutal warrior, he avoided the subject of YAMI, not even attempting to bring it up.

Sho picked up on his thought process, reading his facial expressions with ease. "Yet despite that encounter, you remained silent about the organization, not even bothering to bring it up. I'm curious why you seem to be avoiding YAMI and YOMI for so long. Since you were trained by Sol, who is also one of the Fists of Nine Shadow, by that title alone, you are obligated to become a member of YOMI and it's not like it is something you can just avoid forever?"

Naruto remained silent, his prior rage having cooled trying not to get rattled at his questions. He wasn't naive enough to believe he could just stay hidden from YAMI forever, knowing full well they'd come for him eventually. Either that or when Sol eventually returned to continue his training, he'd all but be dragged into the group's affairs. So why did he not simply ask about the organization to begin with?

Sho didn't respond as he watched with mild amusement as his opponent stood still in contemplation. "Well, whatever your reason, it doesn't really matter anyway." Naruto's head jerked up in response to the comment, paying close attention to his opponent's words.

"Regardless of whether you like it or not, once you are a part of YOMI you can't simply leave..." Sho paused for a moment, scratching his chin in mock contemplation before raising his finger in a "Eureka" like gesture. "Well okay, that's not entirely true. There is one way to get out of YOMI and that would be to lose to another disciple of another master, thereby turning your position over to him or her."

Naruto frowned at the notion, obviously he wasn't too keen on joining YOMI for a number of reasons he could outright name right now, yet the idea of getting his ass handed to him by another person just for that didn't sit well with him. Still..."Though I'm guessing based on your expression that's not really the best option?"

Sho, who'd started walking on the branch on his hands for some reason, smirked a little at the question. Shifting his body onto one hand and pushing himself up and down with ease, Sho continued to speak. "Most likely not. For that to work, there'd need to be a martial artist of similar skill to your master who also happens to have a disciple of his own. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint, Capoeria masters fit for YAMI's ranks are practically nonexistent and the few who even measure up to our standards are typically content with simply living out their days in isolation. Though considering we've already got the most accomplished master of the style on our side anyway, seems kind of pointless really."

Sho quickly spring boarded of his hands and back onto his feet, casually leaning against the trunk of the tree, pulling a small branch off of it. "Though even if there was a disciple capable of challenging you, losing your position to him wouldn't be a wise tactic." Sho's town took on a darker pitch, as his fingers slowly applied pressure to the branch in his hand.

Naruto's frown deepened at the change in tone and obvious implication. "Let me guess, if I lose then I..."

A loud snapping sound drowned out his last word, Sho looking at the now broken branch, one piece hanging limply like a hangman's noose, "You die? Pretty much! To us, if you aren't strong enough to defeat an opponent you either challenge upon request or are challenged by, then you're not worthy being amongst our group." Sho quickly tossed the broken branch aside before turning back to his opponent.

Smirking Sho crossed his arms, looking down on his opponent like a hawk, clearly bored with the conversation. "So now that I've given you the basic YOMI orientation speech, ready to get back to business. Staying grounded like this is getting tedious and I'd like to resume..."

The blue haired teen turned for a moment, quickly crossing both arms across his chest, before his body was sent flying back to the ground, struck with the force of a rifle bullet courtesy of a strong kick from his opponent who'd all but literally jumped the gun, leaping forward towards his enemy without hesitation.

"If you hate sticking to the ground so much, then you are really gonna hate me. Cause I foresee you and the ground forming very deep connection before this fight's over." Naruto spoke confidently, watching his opponent soar towards the ground like a penguin trying to fly.

The impact of his fall would have been substantial, but Sho once again showed his skill by managing to adjust his body, allowing him to land on his feet. Though the force behind the kick that sent him falling still carried with him, leaving several cracks in the hard ground, Sho actually having to hold back a wince, yet his smile remained.

"Heh, you know coming here I was a little worried. Until recently pretty much every fighter I've come across has been little more than an insignificant bug, whose existence I feel ashamed to even acknowledge, and I was concerned you'd turn out just like them!" Sho's smirk quickly grew into a gleeful one, full of excitement and elation, seemingly just barely holding down his own apparent enjoyment, "While I can't say you're especially entertaining, you've at least proven my reference to you as a dog was a more accurate assumption than an insect. At the very least, dogs are creatures you can acknowledge with some degree of respect, if only for their loyalty and occasional pleasant company."

Naruto raced towards Sho before lashing out with a strong high kick aimed to crack the skull. Sho raised his arm and easily blocked the blow, only for Naruto to use the block as a method to go into a spin. He switched legs in the middle of the spin and sent another powerful kick at the blue haired disciple, this time with his heel aiming to damage the boy's ribs. Sho once again blocked it, but once Naruto retracted his leg, Naruto shifted forwards, stamping his foot on the ground to gain a solid ground. He then shifted his weight onto his left leg and struck forth with a triple kick, one aimed for the head, one for the chest and the other for the groin.

However, Sho leaped out of the reach of Naruto's kicks, but was quick to jump over Naruto's follow up as the blonde went for a sweeping kick. However, as Sho landed, he was caught completely off-guard when Naruto began to go into a series of spins and twists, his legs completely outstretched as he did so so that he could continuously bombard Sho with attacks. The blue haired disciple raised his arms and legs to block the strikes until Naruto leaned back, using his arms as a balance, and pushed both legs up against Sho's arms, breaking the guard of the blue haired disciple.

Utilizing great arm strength, Naruto used the momentum of his guard breaker to go into a handstand and spun on his hands to send a number of kicks at Sho and each one struck the older disciple in his chest and face before Naruto stopped in a handstand and fell forwards. As he did so, he brought one leg downwards, smashing it down on Sho's skull before the second leg came down and brought him to the ground with terrific force.

Naruto then jumped back to his feet and leaped away to looked at his downed opponent.

"If I am a dog as you claim me to be, which I am not, then you are merely a weak dove. You aim to fly like the dove you are, but I will bite and I will snap at you until I break your wings and you will never be able to attain your dream to fly again." Naruto growled. His rage once again spiked as Sho's laughter echoed through the air.

The older boy climbed back to his and rolled his neck and shoulders, a few cracks and pops echoing as he did so. The heterochromatic boy's laughed died down to chuckles as he dusted his chest and wiped the blood that came from his burst lips, spitting out some that had leaked into his mouth.

"Oh you are a delight. I haven't been hit in a while so it's good to see someone, even a dog like you, having some bite to them. I think I may have to upgrade you from dog to wolf if this keeps up. Now come at me, you want to break my wings...then let me see you try!"

Naruto quickly shook himself of his stupor, "Frankly, I really don't give a damn what you think of me at this point. You know why?" Sho's interest was peaked as he watched Naruto shift into an all to familiar stance, quickly shifting himself from one leg to another, yet remaining relatively in the same area.

"Finally starting to shift gears I see. Finally, I've been waiting forever for this."

Naruto's eyes burned with determination as his Ginga began to rapidly pick up speed. "Before this fight is over, I'm gonna use my feet to wipe that stupid grin off your face."

Without a single word of warning Naruto cartwheeled over towards Sho, though at the speed he was going he looked more like a rotating saw blade. Once the gap was closed, he kicked high off the ground, flattening his body as his feet left the ground, targeting Sho for a rising kick.

Quickly building up momentum, Naruto lashed out with his right leg, bringing it down like an axe towards Sho, who responded in kind, planting his feet firmly into the ground and raising his arm up in a traditional high block. The kick crashed against the arm, actually forcing Sho a few centimeters deeper into the dirt.

Naruto's attack wasn't finished as he continued to rotate forward, his originally trapped leg sliding off Sho's arm while his free leg came down towards him, intent on caving his skull in. Sho's eyes actually widened a bit at the tactic, it being a little odd given how close together they were and the rather awkward position they'd been in.

_"Can't really dodge at this distance and I'm gonna ended up hit anyway so..."_ Sho managed to take advantage of his opponent's close proximity and slammed a strong uppercut into Naruto's stomach a few moments before his kick collided with his head.

Both strikes hit with sufficient force, though Sho seemed to take a bit more damage, his neck clearly struggling to support the increased pressure to the skull. Though Naruto inwardly frowned at the end result. _"Guy managed to use the uppercut to lift me off the ground enough to lessen the impact at the last second. Though I have to wonder why I'm even acting surprised anymore."_

With little movement left, the two quickly pushed backwards, once again standing a few feet apart. Sho, looking up with his wide grin, despite a small trail of blood dripping down his face.

"Looks like someone finally started learning how to fly after all. Seems things might get more interesting after all."

Naruto merely stared down his opponent shifting back into his Ginga, "You want to fly so badly? I'll send you soaring to the heavens if that's what you want?" To emphasize his intent to continue, the blonde actually used the "Come on" gesture with his hand, actively trying to goad Sho into attacking him.

Sho merely smirked at his declaration, quickly wiping the blood off of face, "Well then, I guess I can't argue with the eager and anything relating to YAMI wasn't the reason I came here anyway. I'll leave that matter for later, for now however..."

Naruto's eyes watched with interest as Sho's body switched positions, facing Naruto with his body turned sideways, but his upper body mostly turned to face him, an open palm with his left hand out, while his right hand was pull back at his side. Naruto's senses quickly went on alert at the sight, "I don't know what that stance is, but I know he isn't doing it for show. Guess he really is getting serious."

Sho's smirk grew dark, as his very aura seemed to shift, seemingly becoming calmer and more focused, yet harsher, with a deep sense of foreboding washing over him. He silently whispered his technique, **"Tenchi Jouge" (Stance of Overpowering Annihilation). **

Naruto's rage quickly had been quelled, as his senses suddenly went on alert, knowing full well his opponent was getting serious and decided to take the fight seriously. Naruto quickly shifted into his Ginga stance, shifting from side to side, yet maintaining a fair distance from his adversary who looked upon with interest.

"See you finally decided to start using your actual Capoeria training for a change. Have to say I'm happy about that. I'm curious to see what exactly your master managed to teach you in the short amount of time you two spent together. However..."

Naruto barely had time to blink as Sho was right in his face, rearing his hand back in a knife hand position, "...don't expect me to just give you the first move." With lightning speed and great precision, Sho's knife hand struck towards Naruto like a spear. Though as it came close, Sho quickly began to rotate the hand, giving it an appearance of a miniature drill which Naruto barely managed to dodge. Quickly dropping into an Esquiva and hitting the ground, only to quickly jump and spin sideways to avoid a second drill strike from Sho, the attack struck the ground. Surprisingly, it didn't create nearly as big a blast of dust as one would expect.

Landing on his feet, Naruto prepared to counter attack, only to once again find Sho on the offensive with a third knife strike, only this time Sho managed to latch on to his opponents shoulder to keep him from moving. Naruto's eyes quickly widened as the drill like strike approached him.

His position was locked and he couldn't seemingly slip away, and the knife approached quickly, Sho shouting the techniques name out in triumph.

**"Jinenken-Nejiri Nukite!" (God's Fist-Spinning Hand) **

Naruto however, reacted quickly, striking Sho's unguarded knee with a low sweeping kick. Striking with sufficient force, Sho's knee and leg bent sideways, sending his whole body into a tilt and resulting in the drill strike missing Naruto's body and instead going over his shoulder without contact.

It was now Naruto's turn to smirk as he looked straight into Sho's eyes, "Bit of advice when fighting against someone using Capoeria, you should try to lock their legs up along with their arms!"

Naruto quickly emphasized his point by bringing his still extend leg upwards into Sho's chin in a powerful knee strike, which effectively broke his opponent's hold on him as well as stunning him.

Taking advantage of his brief window of opportunity, Naruto quickly leapt onto one hand, balancing his body sideways and brought up both of his legs in and then unleashed them into Sho's exposed abdomen.

Naruto's expression actually turned gleeful with a nice hint of satisfaction as for the first time since he met him, Sho's normal cocky demeanor had been broken and his was literally bewildered by his opponent's counterattack. Though the blonde Capoeria user only had a brief moment to enjoy it as he watched his tormentor soar backwards into a nearby tree trunk.

The sight itself actually prompted a whistle of surprise from Naruto, who'd quickly flipped back to his feet, "I've seen birds do some pretty impressive things, but I didn't know they could fly backwards too. Guess you really can fly."

Despite the joke, Naruto's guard didn't lower, knowing full well that counter wouldn't have been enough to stop him. Thus rather than simply letting his opponent get back up and attack him, the blonde chose to return to the offensive. Opting to flip forward towards his opponent, rapidly picking up speed as he advanced.

Just as he came within distance of the still present dust cloud, he quickly pulled his knees into his chest and slapped one of his arms on to the ground for support before lashing both legs forward again into a powerful mule kick.

The sound of crunching wood met his ears, but not the sound of his boots meeting flesh or bones breaking. His eyes quickly caught sight of Sho's outline in the dust, standing just a few inches from his extended legs, though with his back to Naruto.

The outline's position quickly shifted, raising its right leg up, before cocking it in place and then lashing out, the boot crashing into Naruto's exposed face, sending the blonde spiraling in the air. However, Naruto managed to quickly adjust himself by rolling backwards, using the momentum to land on his feet and look back at Sho in anger.

Not wasting any time, he moved in to attack, unleashing a fast, spinning Aramada kick which Sho quickly blocked with his forearm. Pushing the offending limb away in an attempt to knock his opponent off balance, Naruto instead leaped forward in the direction his body was pushed landing on Sho's exposed side and attempted to slam his leg onto his opponent's shoulder only for Sho to move out of the way, quickly side stepping to the left to avoid the kick, before firing off his own front kick at Naruto's back.

Naruto pushed himself up, spun clockwise in the air and cocked his leg back before unleashing a kick to his opponent's head. Sho raised his palm and caught the kick, but the blow itself forced his palm against his head, rattling his brain and causing his ear to ring.

That strike actually resulted in Sho's eyes quickly lighting up in fury, as he seemingly changed tactics, wrapping the hand already connected to Naruto's leg around his ankle and then grabbing Naruto's shirt with his other hand. With a quick rotation, Sho pulled his helpless opponent over his shoulder and slammed him hard onto the ground.

Following the throw Sho looked down at his fallen enemy before shifting his hand into a familiar looking knife hand strike. Naruto's eyes shot up in terror, knowing exactly what was coming next.

Sho's hand quickly began rotating, picking up speed with each second. If Naruto was even being honest, he'd swear it was actually spinning even faster than before. Sho's eyes quickly became like scopes, targeting his opponent with hawk-life precision, his smile growing before he plunged the appendage directly into Naruto's stomach.

**"JINEKEN-NEJIRI NUKITE" **

Naruto's scream instantly died the moment the strike made contact, his body incapable of making a single sound as the pain was seemingly so great his mind couldn't properly process it. Yet the sounds of torn flesh, cracking bone and blood splashing like a raging river echoed across the land, in every direction.

Sho's eyes, became blank and expressionless at the moment of contact, his mind seemingly acted on instinct. Yet they quickly regained their glow as he looked at his...excuse the pun...handy Work.

Sho looked down on his opponent a look of actual cold contempt for a brief instance as he spoke, "Creatures like you shouldn't be talking about flying in the sky. Keep your nose buried in the dirt like the rest of your kind."

His words however, fell on deaf ears, Naruto gasping for air at the strike, blood leaking from his mouth as he also tried to fight off the pain. Sho's normally present smirk had disappeared as looked down at his enemy's current state, "You should count yourself lucky. If my master had been the one to use that technique on you, you'd have birds coming out of the new hole in your chest. Though, I guess having a somewhat punctured abdomen still isn't an especially pleasant experience now is it?"

Sho's eyes glanced at the injured fighter, a look of disappointment crossing his face, replacing his early look of mirth, "Though, even with that injury, I was hoping you'd prove to be more of a challenge. After all the stories I heard about you from Sougetsu and the mention of how great your master was, I simply can't believe that this is all the skill you can somehow muster?"

The sound of brief gasps for air filled his ears, along with the sound of the blonde slowly trying to raising himself from the ground. His eyes glanced at Sho with an obvious look of contempt and a bit of hatred, which his opponent calmly scofted at.

"Man, you do look pathetic. Now you look more like a helpless puppy than a dog. Then again, pretty much anything would look weak given the state and performance you gave me. Pity really."

Sho quietly turned his back to Naruto, looking completely disinterest in continuing the fight, a fact that actually caused Naruto's rage to begin burning again. Sho slowly began his motion of leaving the scene, "If you can somehow manage to get back up and make your way back to that little dump of a restaurant you like so much, then do me and yourself a favor and stay away from YOMI. Clearly your master was wrong to pick you, maybe I should ask him if he'd be willing to train me instead perhaps."

Sho then paused again for a moment, "Of course, even if you did forget this whole thing happened, you are still a YOMI member in a technical sense and being defeated even by another member can still be seen as a genuine defeat, at which point you'll likely be killed anyway. Not to mention since your little girlfriend and her comrades are enemies of our organization, I'd say it's likely they'll be targeted as well and more than likely killed. Oh well."

And in that instance, for whatever reason, Naruto suddenly felt something inside him snap. The feeling itself was pure yet also wild and violent, a feeling not unlike one he'd felt in the past from the Nine Tails, but there was something more...primal about this feeling, more instinctive and most of all...more vicious.

Sho's own eyes quickly widened as he too felt a similarly dark presence behind him, grow exponentially and actually causing the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Almost as if a giant pair of eyes were staring at him with an uncontrollable urge to kill.

Sho quickly turned around and his face developed a look of shock at the sight before him. Naruto, the person less than a minute ago he'd effectively slammed into the ground and carved a hole several inches deep into his chest cavity and could barely stand, was now standing up without any visible issue. What's most, his posture had changed. He was slightly hunched over, his arms hanging limply and his eyes shadowed by his hair.

Yet despite his lack of movement and odd posture, Sho unconsciously felt the need to guard himself, practically seeing the dark aura surrounding him. Strangely enough it was a feeling Sho recognized from his time in YAMI, _"This feeling of hostility and rage, it's Dou ki. I suspected he was a Dou type fighter given his temper yet this Ki, it's so potent, practically dripping with malice and intent to kill. I've never felt anything like this, at least not from someone who isn't a master."_

Sho's thoughts were quickly interrupted by a low growling noise emanating from Naruto's throat. His body began to shift, slowly at first, with his arms shaking as they moved while his body actually seemed to crouch lower to the ground to an extent. As he moved, the growling grew louder, reminiscent of a vicious dog preparing to attack or defending it's territory. It was a rather unpleasant sound for Sho and it made him feel uneasy.

Yet Naruto still hadn't made much in terms of movement and it made his opponent stare at him for another moment of time. Though that moment barely lasted as in the next second Naruto was gone, vanished from his sight.

Sho's eyes shot up, quickly scanning the area for his opponent or rather that's what he would have done, if not for his eyes temporarily losing sight as a result of a solid right hook plowing into his gut, which was then followed up with a left cross to the left side of his face, his neck jerking to the side with borderline bone-snapping force.

Quickly he felt a pair of hands clench his skull and turn into face his attacker and it was at this point that Sho got a good look at his opponent's visage and if he was being completely honest, for the briefest of moments Sho was legitimately terrified.

As to why...simply put...Naruto no longer looked like an angry teen or even a violent individual. He literally looked like a beast. His teeth were clenched tightly, fully exposing his longer than normal canine teeth, while also seemingly giving the rest of his mouth the illusion of appearing as fangs. The boy's blonde hair had suddenly become much wilder and untamed, reminiscent of animal fur. What really put the fear in the blue haired teen's mind however were the eyes. The pupils themselves were sharp and narrow, eyes only found in a predatory animal with a lethal intent to kill and that was literally all he could see in those eyes. Eyes themselves typically acting as a mirror to the soul, overflowing with a stream of emotions and thoughts. Now that river was all but empty, no joy, no anger, no sorrow, only bloodlust and intent to kill in the most brutal fashion.

This sight brought a single thought into Sho's mind that passed slowly as time seemed to slow to a crawl. Al the while the fearsome blonde slowly pulled Sho's head towards his own, though in the real world it was done with quick speed, his forehead targeting Sho's nose, intent on breaking it and possible fracturing his skull.

Yet Sho ignored the oncoming pain, only thinking one thing as the contact happened, _"It would appear I was wrong in my assumption of you after all, Naruto. You're no dog at all, no dogs wished they had the kind of iron like gaze that would make even the bravest man turn tail and run. No, you my friend are a beast, a wild untamed creature of instinct, capable of only destruction and death. Not bad my friend, not bad at all."_

Any thoughts Sho had after that were promptly interrupted by his nose and forehead crashing into Naruto's, striking like a car crash with bone clashing and crashing against each other. Though Naruto wasn't apparently satisfied with the strike and proceeded to continue the assault, rapidly headbutting his opponent multiple times, hoping to shatter his opponents skull like an egg.

Seemingly not satisfied with the damage already done, Sho suddenly was pushed back slightly before being struck hard in the jaw by a strong Armada kick from his opponent. The blonde followed up by sending two Meia Lua de Compasso strikes to the same spot. Then without even pausing for the slightest moment, facing Sho's front Naruto did a fast backflip, smashing his left foot into his opponent's exposed jaw, knocking him back several more feet.

Surprisingly the strike actually seemed to knock Sho out of his daze, with him quickly landing back on his feet, an eager look on his face

"Well well, looks like this dog has some teeth on him." Quickly shifting into his karate stance, the blue haired teen quickly blurred forward, "Let's see how long before they break."

With a loud battle cry, Sho unleashed multiple punches. First a straight punch, then a high punch and a low punch, before moving into an arm swipe. Yet his opponent easily slid and weaved his way around them.

Sho quickly pulled his arm back and tensed his arm up before sending out a much stronger straight punch. Naruto however, leaned back to avoid the strike, which hit nothing but air. The blonde quickly landed on his hands and feet, landing in an almost crab walk like position, before shooting his right leg straight up into Sho's chin.

Naruto then flipped onto his stomach, balancing himself on his hands and then smashing his feet into Sho's stomach in rapid succession. Each kick landing with the force of automatic fire, yet Naruto wasn't finished.

He quickly hoisted his body up on his hands, extended his legs out and proceeded to perform a windmill kick, sweeping Sho's legs out from under him, while continuing to rotate with his leg then slamming harshly into Sho's exposed sides.

Sho hit the ground hard, but Naruto was a far cry from finished. Kicking himself off the ground the teen spun himself around Sho, whose upper body lifted itself off the ground as a result of the impact and Naruto proceeded to against rotate his body, keeping himself low to the ground before cocking his leg in and kicking directly into Sho's back.

The blue haired teen gasped in intense pain as spit and blood flew from between his open lips. His body became airborne once more before his attacker let loose another fierce roar. Naruto snarled before going into a hand stand and then wrapped his legs around Sho's exposed neck and then, in an impressive feat of upper and lower body strength, sent the teen towards the ground.

The attack should have ended the YOMI teen, thankfully for him however, he'd managed to regain enough of his sense to quickly curve his legs into a ball as his made his descent to the ground, before kicking his leg out, which slammed into the ground with enough force to halt his further decedent.

Naruto, having let go his opponent once he was sent towards the ground quickly pushed himself back to his feet, glaring at his enemy with rage and quickly moved towards him, intent on continuing his assault.

Sho however, tried to stop him with another straight punch. Naruto reacted faster, first blocking the punch with a Bencao, before snaking his leg around Sho's arm, placing his inner thigh atop Sho's forearm and his lower leg under and around his elbow, locking the limb firmly in place.

It was a movement that actually surprised Sho, honestly looking puzzled at this unfamiliar tactic, to where it almost looked like he wanted to know what direction the technique was going. It was a short lived feeling, as Naruto quickly bent backwards as if doing another backflip, yet actually bent his leg in an almost squatting manner, before also placing his palm firmly on the ground. The result of the shift in weight caused Sho to literally be dragged forward and threw him off balance. Now firmly locked on the ground, Naruto utilized his planted arm and legs to increase his lift and promptly completely his back flip, only this time he actually managed to flip the bound Sho as well flat onto his back as a result.

The blonde quickly moved to his groundwork, quickly spinning back from his downed opponent, before attempting to perform a sort of front flip, only once his body started to fall forward, he pulled one of his legs in, indicating his intention was to shift to an axe kick, using the added momentum of the flip to increase the effectiveness.

The offending leg dropped down on Sho's abdomen with the force of a sledgehammer, his bones loudly cracking in response to the strike, with Sho gasping from the attack but not letting out any sort of scream. Interestingly enough, the spot he just struck was the same spot Sho had used his knife hand strike on, which brought the now savage teen out of his rage for a moment to smirk in satisfaction at returning the pain his blue haired opponent had given him.

With another quick rotation, the blonde was back on his hands before getting to his feet, entering his Ginga stance while keeping his eyes on his opponent, awaiting his response despite clearly having the advantage and being in a perfect position to finish him.

"Well...," Sho chuckled, "...that was certainly interesting."

The now feral teen let out a full blown roar of sheer contempt, almost spitting at the ground as he looked at his downed opponent, who despite the beating he just took was managing to get back up to his feet, though this time for some degree of effort.

Sho's rise from the dirt took a few more moments than usual, though he tried fairly well to ignore the pain shooting through his body. Once he was standing, he brushed some of the dirt away from his body. Though his face displayed confidence, internally he was somewhat conflicted about his next course of action.

_"This fight hasn't exactly been going as I expected. Beyond him actually having more skill than originally predicted, I definitely wasn't prepared for this feral Dou Ki he's leaking out of him." _His thoughts quickly paused as he scanned over Naruto more closely, taking in his more feral appearance from a more composed perspective, noting the blonde's body shaking almost seemingly trying to fight off the bloodlust seeping through his body while also holding himself back as best he could manage. The sight of this sent the gears in his head spinning.

_"Seems he isn't used to this kind of power release. Then again, I remember Master Akira mentioning how Dou fighters have a tendency to become especially savage when they first unlock their Dou ki, even more so when they have little training in how to properly control it."_

Another quick scan made him also take into account the blonde's demeanor as sweat seemed to be dripping from his brow and his breath was heavy, yet his ferocity still remained strong, if a little bit strained. _"Using that much power with so little control, he's clearly running on fumes and can't keep this up for much longer. Though based on those hits, I have a feeling he'd lay me out if I tried to run out the clock on him. Guess that leaves one option."_

His decision reached, Sho straightened his body out, garnering attention from Naruto whose defense tightened at his adversaries movement. Sho offered him another one of his smiles, though clearly one filled with a slight degree of excitement not seen prior, "You really should feel proud of yourself my friend. Before we even met I had a fairly low opinion of you, I pictured you as little more than a weak helpless bug, not worthy to join our ranks."

Another loud growl at the insult only merited another chuckle from Sho along with a casual hand wave, "Yet through this fight you've managed to tear down every assumption I had of you and you've even managed to earn a bit of my respect in that regard." With another pause, his stance quickly shift, His left arm raised above his shoulder, his hand assuming a claw like shape, while his right arm as rotated down, his hand near his knee and his hand in a similar position as his left.

In that instance Naruto's feral senses went haywire, his eyes growing increasingly large, goosebumps and the hairs on his neck actually started to stand at attention and his body actually began to shake, not from angry but excitement and fear, as a very odd energy seemed to exhude itself from Sho's body. What made the energy odd itself was that it had a feeling of hostility and rage similar to Naruto's own energy, yet also a much calmer, more docile feeling not unlike the kind he'd felt from his master Sol. The seemingly opposing energies seemed to gather around Sho's body, crashing against each other like two beasts fighting for dominance, with neither side able to secure a foothold.

Sho's grin grew wide, his eyes almost seemed to glow as the energy seemed to encapsulate him in a layer that, despite not being visible, both fighters could feel.

"As a show of my new found respect for you, I'll give you a glimpse of a power, said to be the absolute peak of strength in the world of martial arts. A technique even to this day, no person has been able to truly master."

Sho's grin became a fully grown smile, his energy actually seemingly causing wind to kick up around him as the two waves of energy seemed to be compacted together through an unknown force, turning the two waves into a massive tsunami of energy. All of which was clearly directed at Naruto, seemingly to be swept away with the tide.

As the energy mixed Sho spoke words that would forever be burned in Naruto's memory, a reminder along with the sensation he felt that day and a technique he would not soon forget.

**"Seidou Goui!" (Roar As One)**

With the force of a miniature explosion, Sho's Ki suddenly burst from all around him, his body seemingly pulsating with the power that coursed through his body. Oddly enough Naruto noted that as an apparent side effect of the power, Sho's right eye suddenly became pitch black in color.

Sho meanwhile, merely smirked at his opponents gaze, "Truly something to behold isn't it. A merging of energies so different that even when combined they cannot remain together for long and the risks the technique yields are not to be ignored. However..."

In a flash Sho appeared before Naruto, his fist smashing into Naruto's ribs with the force of a high-powered rifle.

"...The combination of energies grants the fighter unparalleled power of the body that could never be achieved through ordinary training methods. So the trade off isn't a complete waste." Sho's words fell on deaf ears however, as he noticed that Naruto, despite taking his punch head on hadn't actually moved an inch from the spot he was in.

He quickly noted that, much to his own surprised the blonde actually managed to raise both his hands up to lessen the impact of the punch itself. Though the feat itself was also helped by the dramatic increase in strength his extremely dense Dou Ki had granted him, otherwise such a punch would have likely crushed his arms and body in an instant.

The scene quickly shifted in tone, as Sho felt another wave of heavy Dou Ki return in force as Naruto's head snapped up, glaring at him with piercing eyes and roaring straight in his face. Both hands latching firmly onto his outstretched fist before leaping up and sending a roundhouse kick to Sho's jaw.

The high powered teen continued to grin as he quickly lean back to avoid the kick, before aiming his free arm at his opponents arms, wrapping his hand firmly around Naruto's forearms and taking advantage of his current airborne state, proceeded to spin intent on slamming his opponent onto the ground once more.

Before he hit the ground however, Naruto promptly slammed his feet onto the ground, anchoring himself enough to lessen the impact, cracking the ground in response. With a quickly flick of his leg he unleashed a kick at Sho, his leg moving towards a ninety degree angle towards his enemies exposed face.

Sho however, quickly released his hold on Naruto and leaped back to avoid the strike, smirking all the way as his adversary flipped around to face him before charging at him, the look of murder in his eyes.

Sho's glee reached its peak as Naruto unleashed his attacks, multiple vicious kicks coming from every angle with enough power behind them to shatter bones, yet his enhanced state allowed him to block them with ease. Naturally, they still hurt like hell, but at this point Sho was having so much fun he honestly didn't give a damn anymore.

_"And to think, I thought for even a second this would be boring. Forget killing this guy or having him kill himself. I'm make sure he lives to join YOMI if only so I can fight him some more in the future. This is __**WAY...TOO MUCH FUN!"**_

Sho's glee quickly translated to his fighting he quickly started to pick up speed, deciding to take full advantage of his brief power increase. With the simplest of ease he moved to the side of an on coming Armada Kick, quickly grabbing the offending limb before also grabbing his opponent by the neck of his shirt and then tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

Naruto however, quickly spun forward to right himself, planting his feet firmly against a nearby tree, going into a crouch before pushing off and rocketing towards his enemy, letting loose a powerful straight kick.

Sho in response, countered with his own straight punch, colliding head on with Naruto's kick. The two limbs crashing against each other with titanic force, the shockwave blasting away everything in the immediate vicinity. Naruto's kick however, quickly showed that it was stronger, owed mainly to the combination of his own ki and the push off from the tree.

His opponent however, seemed one step ahead of him, as he quickly pulled his arm back to release the tension that was holding the his opponent in the air, before sending him back to the ground with a hard back spin kick to the stomach.

Yet even that wasn't enough to keep him down as he quickly flipped back to his feet, his effectively halted as he had become too angry to concentrate on the technique and was simply interested in crushing Sho.

Sho just laughed at the murderous look, not the least bit intimidated, "Man, you are just relentless you know that? If this were any other situation I'd love to fight you till daybreak, but unfortunately my Master is a bit of a stickler for time and is more than likely already here in Japan looking for me. So I'm afraid we'll have to cut this fight short."

His words clearly didn't inspire any good feelings from his opponent whose murderous look increased tenfold, his Ki becoming heavier and more malevolent. In truth, while Sho's comment was true, his real reason for his bluff was that he was reaching the limit of which his body could handle the Seidou Goui technique. Ordinarily a fighter was lucky to maintain the state for maybe a minute before their body fell apart. Sho however, had greater mastery of the technique allowing him to control it for an extended period while also knowing to only use the technique in short controlled bursts to avoid long-term damage. Sadly, because of the intensity of the fight, that time limit had expired much more quickly and he was reaching the end of his technique.

Naturally, even though it wouldn't cause lasting damage, the end result would be him being too sore to fight at his peak and with Naruto still blasting out his Dou Ki by the bus load he needed to end this fight now, or at least knock him down long enough to get away.

Of course he wasn't the least bit concerned, keeping his smile present while Naruto looked at him with contempt his mind finally managing to get out of the rage filled haze, if only briefly as he managed out a few words, "And just what makes you think for even one second I'm gonna let you walk away from here after all the crap you've put me through?" His last words were followed by a furious growl from his throat to which Sho smiled back.

"Well that's easy my friend, in fact it's so easy I actually have two reasons for you." As if mocking him, the blue haired karate fighter held up two fingers as he began his count off, "The first being that right now I know that isn't really you speaking or at least you not being in the best state of mind. Right now, you may be acting all tough and feral, but I'd say after a few more minutes you'll be thinking a lot more clearly and hopefully a lot less viciously."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his first reason, though didn't think much of it while noting Sho's eyes narrow a bit at his second reason, "And reason number two, is that for all your tough talk, you and I both know you can't kill me. Ignoring the fact that it would only lead to more problems for you from YAMI and I know you don't want that. I can tell just by looking in your eyes you're trying to keep all this a secret from your little girlfriend." He quickly paused as his grin again shifted to sadistic for a moment, "After all if she learned what you really are, what you're really capable of, would she still stand by you? I wonder...I wonder..."

His comment did it's job as Naruto's Dou Ki flared back to life, his face becoming even more feral at the comment as he geared up for another attack, while Sho moved into a familiar looking stance, "Guess I touched a nerve there, didn't I?!" He quickly flared up his own ki in response, a massive gale of wind kick up as the energy of the two seemed to clash against each other, like two furious animals locked in mortal combat.

Like the Dragon versus the Tiger.

Naruto promptly placed the heel of his foot on the ground in a familiar position, before dragging it against the ground, hard and fast. In an instant, his leg was suddenly almost glowing red, a think layer of steam forming from his shoe as he readied his final attack.

**"Perna de Deus De Sol."**

The words were surprisingly empty despite his prior anger, yet to Sho he might as well have been not speaking at all. His eyes were instead staring intently at Naruto's technique, his mouth practically watering at the sight, while his eyes glistened, like a kid in a candy store.

"So that's it. One of Sol's legendary Capoeria techniques, The Leg of the Sun God. It's even more impressive up close." Sho's admiration continued despite shifting into his own stance as his hand entered into a familiar knife hand strike.

"I think it's only fitting to counter it with one of my master's own techniques." His hand quickly began to pick up speed, once again resembling a drill, only this time it's speed was greatly enhanced by his combined ki, to where the technique resembled a mini tornado in his hand, the attack trained solely on Naruto.

"The God of the Sky vs the God of the Sun. LETS SEE WHO'S THE TRUE LORD OF THE HEAVENS SHALL WE!"

In that brief instance between words, both fighters rocketed towards each other, eyes focused solely on each other and nothing else. The sky, the earth, the plants, everything seemed to fade away from them as they drew closer. Sho's look of glee shining through with each passing second, while Naruto found himself struck with a sense of déjà vu, once again finding himself about to clash with another rival in a strangely poetic setting.

Yet his mind attempted to block the thought out as he cocked his leg back and unleashed his heated kick with all the power he had, Sho responding in kind with his hand.

**"JINEKEN-NEJIRI NUKITE" (God's Fist Spinning Hand) **

**"PERNA DE DEUS DE SOL" (Leg of the Sun God) **

Both attacks collided with the force of a landmine. The shockwave generated sent ripples of air in every direction, bark from the nearby trees cracked and shattered, the earth and wind howled in agony at the impact. At the same time the air seemed to increase in temperature as Sho's fast moving had quickly began to spread the heat from Naruto's kick in every direction and at the epicenter it wasn't much better.

Despite the heat and force generated from their combined attacks, neither fighter was willing to give the other any ground. Naruto himself roaring in fury as his Dou Ki increased in force, his leg gaining greater strength and he pushed Sho back, who quickly dug his feet deep into the soil as he pushed back further with his hand.

Of course Sho could feel that Naruto's Ki was being concentrated into his leg to increase the strength of his kick, thus allowing him to push back. Sho of course realized that his time with the Seidou Goui was nearly at an end, thus decided that it was best to end the situation before he found himself in a position he could escape. So he quickly focused his remaining united Ki into his technique and pushed forward with all his remaining power.

Naruto likewise upon feeling his rival's strike increase subconsciously transferred even more of his KI into the attack. What the fighters didn't know was that due to the massive consideration of KI they were putting into their attacks, the energies themselves were effectively duking it out and quickly building up to the point where the small space between them wasn't big enough to contain it, something both parties realized a little too late.

(BOOM)

in the briefest of instances both Naruto and Sho were knocked backwards and flat on their collective asses, but a mini-explosion was generated from their little power struggle, effectively ending the clash.

Naruto was the first to recover, slowly sitting up as he shook his head clear of the ringing that was pulsing through his ears and trying to clear up the rage induced haze he'd been under. He quietly raised his head and observed the damage that had been caused, looking upon the scene with a slight degree of awe, before looking down at his own hand suspiciously.

_"Just like that time with Sougetsu. I let my anger take control, yet it felt different this time. Was definitely a lot stronger, almost felt like I didn't have any control at all. Better talk with the Fox about this when I get the chance." _

Quickly placing that thought into the back of his mind for later, the collapsed former ninja attempted to get up, only to literally feel his whole body feel the full weight of the pain of his little bought with Sho. The blonde actually bit down, trying his best to fight back the howl of pain that would have occurred had he not silenced it.

Opting not to move, lest he aggravate his aching form, the blonde slowly observed his body to examine the full extent of the damage. For the most part the damage seemed more internal than external as his clothing didn't sustain too many rips and tears, save for the rather large hole in the middle of his chest where Sho's attack landed. Of course there was also the matter of the bloodstains covering his shirt and pants, as well as the dirt and most evident his left foot was currently still smoking from using his master's signature attack, though thankfully the wind for Sho's own attack managed to cool it off quickly enough before it could do any serious damage.

The blonde let out a quiet sigh as he scratched his head in annoyance, _"Bad enough I have to get into a fight with that asshole Sho, now my clothes are all torn apart. No way I just sweep this one under the rug with Renka, I can already hear her asking me questions."_ Naruto quickly paused as his senses quickly directed his line of vision to Sho's own spot of contact to which Naruto frowned heavily at the sight.

The reason being was that Sho, whom Naruto up to a few minutes ago was pummeling into the ground, was standing up once again, albeit with a clear degree of effort and strain, the hand he used to block Naruto's own technique red hot from the heated kick, yet his smile was still present as always.

Naturally Naruto continued to glare at the smiling teen but only managed to earn a chuckle from him, "You know, it's kind of hard to be intimidating when you flat on your ass with the mobility of a rock. Hehehe!" His chuckle continued, though Naruto quickly spotted the slight strain in both his voice and facial expressions, which earned him his own smirk.

"Well I could say the same to you, pretty sure having the physical stability of a house of cards doesn't come across as particularly scary either."

Sho just smiled again, laughing at the comment, clearly not the least bit offended, "Maybe, but that's part of the price you pay for using that technique. Then again, pretty much any kind of strength requires some degree of pain, but I might have pushed it a little too far. Regardless, I feel I got what I wanted in the end and that's good enough for me."

The YOMI member quietly proceeded to knock the remaining dirt from his clothes before taking another look at Naruto, "We'll call this one a draw for now, no need to start an argument over who won since we're both big enough to admit when we're beat. At least this way we can have a rematch in the future, hopefully by then you'll get that power of yours under control."

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the comment referring to his rather unknown ability and was clearly interested in learning more about it and possibly controlling it better. Though at the same time there was still something he wanted to get across, "So you're not gonna kill me then? Even though I made it clear I'm not interested in joining you or YOMI?"

His comment was completely serious and he awaited Sho's response half expecting a chuckle or perhaps a cold comment, instead what he got was Sho laughing like a madman for a moment, which was actually a bit funny for Naruto as the blue haired fighter seemed to forget his injuries and actually started bending over in pain as he laughed. Despite this however, Sho still managed to get a few words out to Naruto.

"Kill you? No my friend, I have no interest in killing you! Hell, I never had any interest to begin with. After all, we're not really allowed to kill another member of YOMI unless they are defeated in battle and as I already stated this fight counts as a draw, so no harm no foul really. Besides..." Sho's eyes locked on to Naruto with the precision of a sniper scope, his eyes glowing with excitement as he look upon him, "...you've proven to me that, while you might not be a bird that is worthy to join me in the skies above, neither are you a lowly worm or even a weak dog as I originally perceived. No, right now you're more like a caged beast, a creature with unmistakable power and fury, whose only weakness is that his true potential remains locked away, bound to the earth until his ferocity severs his bindings and unleashes his power for the worlds to see and fear."

Naruto's ears held on to each word, finding himself both puzzled and intrigued at his opponents words as Sho's expression became more serious, yet the passion and excitement in his eyes also grew in intensity, "Today I briefly glimpsed the fierce some potential that dwells deep inside of you, though it's only a small fraction of the power you truly possess and until you finally break away from whatever is keeping that strength contained, fighting you would feel like a wasted effort. So I'll leave you now in the hopes that during the time between our next meeting you'll continue to grow stronger, so that our next bout will be a more entertaining battle. Of course till then, well I'll leave you to your own devices."

With those words Sho turned his back to Naruto and began to walk away, leaving his downed opponent to simply sit, musing over what had just taken place. Though Sho almost stopped walking for a second before casually waving his arm in a somewhat goodbye like gesture as he spoke one last time, "One more thing my friend. As I said the only way you can escape from YOMI is if you die or are defeated and then die. It's not something you can truly escape and you will eventually join us, whether by your own will or some outside force, the day will come when you too descend into the darkness. But for now, enjoy your time in the light while it lasts, I can assure you it's a fleeting feeling."

And with those parting words, Sho Kano promptly disappeared between the trees, the sound of the wind passing through the branches being the only clear sound present, as birds took to the skies, the sound of wings beating acting almost like a sendoff to the mysterious teen, leaving Naruto alone, now left contemplate what just transpired.

For a moment he just sat there in silence, continuing to muse over what happened, his hatred for Sho having been quelled over the course of their battle. Now he found himself more confused and admittedly curious over what he'd just been told. Slowly he leaned back, resting his head against the back of the tree, letting the cool winds and bright light of the sun cover him as he gathered his thoughts.

_"Jeez, seems like I can't catch a break no matter where or who I end up with. YAMI, YOMI, all this on top of the crap with Ragnarock, what the heck am I supposed to do about all this?" _

_**"Well for starters, you could stop moping about it!" **_

Naruto's eyes rose for a brief start before dropping down somewhat, _"Fox? Was wondering when I was gonna hear from you again. Which reminds me, you've been pretty quiet up to this point, I mean I know you don't exactly like me, but I haven't heard you make any kind of snide comment about me in a while What's the deal?"  
_  
The fox snarled at the question, almost seemingly offended by it, _**"Your idiocy truly astounds me. Even after all the mental training your master put you through, you still have a pitiful grasp of the obvious."  
**_  
Naruto, lacking the energy for a witty remark, simply scoffed at the comment, _"For the sake of avoiding an unnecessary argument, lets just say you're right and I'm stupid, mind filling me in on what I'm clearly too shortsighted to understand oh great Nine Tails."  
_  
_**"Grrr, you're lucky your survival and mine are tied together brat, otherwise I'd just let you stumble over your own two feet until you ended up in incoming traffic. Regardless, remember how I mentioned prior that while your chakra was sealed, a small portion of my chakra that still lingered in your body resulted in you gaining increased strength and power when you became angry?"  
**_  
Naruto's interest slowly became piqued at the question, _"Yeah, I remember you mentioned that. Pretty sure that it was when I used your chakra while in sage mode after the battle with Pein right?" _

_**"Precisely, at that time your Sage chakra had effectively be used up but some of my chakra still resided within you since there was naturally more of it than Sage Chakra, which is why that chakra wasn't also fused with your own spirit."  
**_  
_"Okay fine, but what exactly does this have to do with you and I being able to speak with each other only during certain intervals?" _

_**"Always so impatient, I'm getting to that. Anyway, as you know or at least, I hope you know, chakra itself is a fusion of a person's physical energy, the energy that allows a person's body to move naturally, and spiritual energy, energy derived from a persons own will and fighting spirit. An individual's chakra network allows them to combine these energies to form chakra. However, when the seal was placed on your body, it effectively made it where your chakra network could no longer function, thus your chakra was split back into it's normal physical and spiritual energy states. Starting to understand brat?"  
**_  
Slowly, Naruto's mind began to pick up speed, gradually deconstructing the information given and offering a casual nod, _"I think I might be." _

_**"Then you probably know what's next. As mentioned, a portion of my chakra still existed within your body at the time the seal was applied. Thus my chakra was also split into physical and spiritual energy, which then united with your own energies, since the seal prevented it from returning to my own body. The physical energy of my chakra is in part why your physical strength is greater than it was originally, despite you lacking your normal chakra levels. Though that itself is minuscule compared to the spiritual energy. Of my chakra. **_

Naruto remained silent, awaiting to hear the rest of the fox's explanation, _**"As you've experienced in the past, my own spirit is one derived from elements of intense emotions, specifically rage and bloodlust and it grows rapidly in power the greater those emotions become. As such, since my spiritual energy is now a part of your own spirit, when your anger reaches a certain peak, the spiritual energy from my charka ignites, flowing through you body and making an energy almost as potent as normal Chakra, though far less controllable. I believe the term is KI, which works much like adrenaline, offering your greater strength and speed, but because its energy derived from my own rage, it also makes you act more feral and violent, much like how you acted when fighting that Sho boy."  
**_  
Naruto's mind quickly flashed back to the fight with Sho, eyes managed to burn through the red haze of rage that clouded his higher mental functions as he attacked the teen like a beast, with little more than bloodshed and murder on his mind, _"So that explains why I went at Sho like a rabid dog...or fox...so to speak."  
_  
_**"The KI itself is derived from intense emotions and the rage that now exists within your own spirit is highly potent, thus it can easily overcome your mind and turn you into a literal beast. It's also because of this that we are able to communicate. Since the KI itself is derived from my own spirit, it creates a small connection between you and I that the seal cannot block since the connection isn't based on chakra, but only lasts for a short time." **_

Seated in place, Naruto calmly took in the information he was given and was for the most part, taking it rather well. Slowly he rose to his feet, his muscles having loosened up after a few minutes of limited motion, though it still caused a few sharp pains to move his arms and legs, but none the less he could handle it.

_"So I'm guessing that means this conversation won't last much longer?" _

_**"As I said the connection itself isn't chakra based and only occurs when the spiritual energy from my chakra that now flows in you becomes intense enough to form a solid connection, which only happens during moments of intense anger. As you are now, I can already feel the connection fading, so if you have any other questions, better ask them now."  
**_  
At that point Naruto really only had one thought on his mind as he tried to brush off some of the remaining dirt from his body, before proceeding at a slow pace back to Gekirin, likely aware Renka had long since returned to the resturant and worried sick about him, a meeting he really wasn't looking forward to. Though really his main concern was what he want to ask the fox

_"After everything that just happened and what Sho said, about YOMI and YAMI, what do you think will likely happen in the coming months?" _

The fox remained silent for a moment, trying to think of the best words to convey his thoughts to the blonde while also working to keep things short before their link was broken.

_**"Well, if there's anything we've both learned from our shared histories is that peace of any kind, never lasts for very long and that it only takes one small spark to start a massive fire. You've managed to keep things relatively contained so far, keeping your relationship with Ragnarock a secret from that girl and maintain a due identity. However, I get the feeling we've encountered the spark that will set forth the coming blaze. Though as to what will be consumed by it I am not sure, I'm not a fortuneteller after all."  
**_  
Gradually, Naruto felt the fox's presence begin to fade, as the link between them weakened due to all his prior anger having long since cooled. Yet the fox was ready to let in some final last words of advice.

_**"However, what I can say is this brat. If that boy is a sample of the things to come, then I suggest you improve your skills, as you heard what he said. If anyone of those YOMI members defeats you or some sign of weakness is shown, they will execute you as well as those you currently hold dear and I can tell they will make good on that threat. These people definitely seem like the kind who'd have no qualms with something like murder, so you'd better be prepared for the worst."**_

His presence slowly drifting away completely, Naruto let out a saddened breath, somewhat unhappy that his time with the fox was cut short. True, the fox was a total bastard and not the best company, but it was still nice to communicate with someone who knew about his past and who he didn't have to keep secrets from. Of course, he also knew that this meant the somewhat quiet life he managed to acquire over these last few weeks, was likely coming to an end and that also didn't help his demeanor.

_"Guess it was too good to be true. No matter where I go, I always end up getting caught up or sought out by some group of elitist assholes who can't take no for an answer. My bad luck I guess." _

Naruto slowly made his way down the path towards Gekirin, hoping that Renka would just accept a simple, "The guy shot his mouth off and I had to kick his ass" excuse without pressing any further questions. All the while, he mentally contemplated how to improve himself for the battles to come, somewhat wishing that Sol had decided to stick around and help him improve, despite the man's lack of subtly.

Hopefully he'd figure something out in the months that came…assuming he even had that much time.

(Scene Change, Unknown Location)

Meanwhile a familiar blue haired, teen slowly made his way through the forest, musing over the battle he'd just experienced, pausing briefly as he actually had to clutch his aching abdomen and chest from the harsh blows his took, _"Definitely shouldn't have underestimated that guy."_

Sho briefly opened his shirt up and frowned briefly at several large, dark purple bruises that coated his upper body. Additionally, he also raised his right hand, paying close attention to it's condition. Clashing with Naruto's Leg of the Sun God had done it's damage and lived up to it's reputation. His entire hand was burned, with his glove being completely burned away, leaving small ash marks on his hand. The fingers themselves have several noticeable burns, though only first degree burns, thus not as serious as they could have been. Thankfully his own technique had managed to lessen the damage, but only just a bit.

Sho's frown persisted as he tried to make a fist, only to receive a nice stab of pain for his troubles as his burned hand shook in agony. "Guess that's what I get for playing with fire barehanded. Probably would have been smarter to match him kick for kick."

"You're lucky that you only received minor burns." Sho's eyes widened somewhat, though quickly returned to normal, as he mustered a fake grin whilst trying to hide his pain as he turned to the voice.

"Master, what a pleasant surprise."

Out of the forest arose a familiar figure. He stood almost seven feet tall, with a lean yet densely muscular build, clad in a black matrix style trench coat, with matching pants, gloves and boots. What little of his body that wasn't covered, revealed lightly tanned skin, with only a small amount of facial hair, including a moustache and goatee, in addition to the long shoulder length black hair that flowed on both sides of his face and head. Two note worth features of the man's face, was a jagged scar that ran horizontally down his left eye, beginning at his forehead and stopping shy of his lips. In addition to this, he also sported strangely pointed ears, giving him a slightly elf like appearance. The remainder of his face was very narrow and well defined, with his eyes obscured by a pair of sunglasses. Otherwise he maintained a very neutral, expressionless face, yet Sho could still feel the main's hawk like gaze peering into him.

Sho, opting to maintain his confident appearance quietly turned around, fully facing his master, quickly releasing his injured hand to avoid looking weak. "I wasn't expecting you to show up so soon. Honestly I was more expecting Sol himself to appear, but this is still nice."

His master, Akira Hongo, otherwise known as the God's Hand, didn't show even a hint of amusement at the comment. Instead his eyes were clearly trained on Sho's injured hand and bruised body, yet his face remained solid and motionless.

"Your opponent proved to be more of a challenge than you expected." His tone was completely dull and without a hint of expression, yet was as ice cold and serious that it was a miracle the temperature didn't instantly drop, yet Sho remained oblivious.

"I might have gotten a little cocky near the end. He didn't seem all the tough at first and I honestly thought he was just another worm like all the others." He quietly frowns as he again tried to make a fist with his damaged hand, "Had to learn the hard way that, while he might not have wings, he certainly has fangs and plenty of fire to boot."

Akira silently listened, remaining like a statute before his eyes drifted to the blazing sun above, "Your little experience reminds me of the story of Icarus. An individual who believed in the strength of his man-made wings and sought to pit them against the blazing heat of the sun." Akira's hidden eyes quickly focused on Sho's burned hand, "And just like Icarus, your wings were burned away by the sun's fire. Thankfully for you, the boy's technique is a far cry from his master's power. Had that been Sol's attack, you'd be little more than ash flying in the wind."

Sho merely listened to his master speak, showing him his respect as he nodded quietly to his words before walking towards him, "I understand master. I let my confidence get the better of me and I paid for it. Even so, the fight itself was still enjoyable and I managed to learn a fair amount about our Sol's disciple, so I'd still call this a win in spite of a few set backs."

The stoic master, again, remained silent for a moment before turning around and slowly walking back the way he came, with Sho following in tow. The pair stayed quiet as they moved, Sho placing his injured hand in his pocket, having grown annoyed with trying to operate it properly, opting to wait it out until the pair returned home.

Yet as the slowly disappeared into the shadows, Akira's head turned slightly to his disciple, "Was he worth it?"

Sho didn't even stop to contemplate his answer, instead looking at Akira with a look of burning passion and excitement he hadn't seen in the teen in years. His face was practically glowing with exhilaration, as he thought about another clash with his fierce new opponent.

"Unquestionably!"

**-Ninth Fist End-**

_Okay, hey everyone, Agurra here and I'll keep this brief. Sorry again that it took me so long to update this, been a real pain in the ass to update this story because of midterms, job searchs and such, so please keep the comments on my update time to a minimum if possible. Anyway, I'll keep working on my other stories and try to update this sooner. However, it will be tricky, in part because some of the characters in future chapters haven't been in the anime and thus are harder for me to characterize, but I'll try my best._

_Also hope you guys enjoyed my explanation for how exactly Naruto's rage boost works along with how he's able to communicate with the fox. Figure since Chakra itself is just physical and spiritual energy combined and spiritual energy is basically KI, it would make the most sense, so hope you enjoyed it._

_Anyway that's all I have for today, though I might add a little extra to this later mostly cause I have class and can't add much else. So hope you enjoyed this and look forward to the next Ninth Fist. Till then Agurra out. _


End file.
